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“They’re coming 1 ” cried Dorothy 


“ I HEAR THEM 




Page 15 







DOROTHY DAINTY’S 
TREASURE CHEST 


BY 

AMY BROOKS 

n 


WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY THE AUTHOR 



BOSTON 

LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO. 


DOROTHY DAINTY 

Trade-Mark 

Registered iu U. S. Patent Ofllce 



Copyright, 1922, 

By Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co. 

Ah rights reserved 

DOROTHY DAINTY’S TREASURE CHEST 



PRINTED IN XT. 8. A. 


■Worwooi) ipresg 

BERWICK & SMITH CO. 

NORWOOD, MASS. 


SEP -7 1922 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER PAGE 

I The Treasure Chest 9 

II Arabella 32 

III Vera’s Whims 53 

lY Abdul Haphet 74 

V Uncle Harry Makes a Call .... 94 

VI Elfin’s Bargain Ill 

VII A Sailor’s Vision 133 

VIII The Mysterious Note 152 

IX The Pirate 171 

X A New Arrival 188 

XI Uncle Harry’s Fair 207 

XII The Chest’s Contents 227 


I 

























ILLUSTRATIONS 


'‘They’re coming!” cried Dorothy. “I hear 
THEM ! ” Frontispiece 

FACINQ 

PAGE 

Clasping her hands about her knees, she 

BRACED HERSELF 44 


He bent once more over the tripod .... 90 

“Does he know anysimgV' Elfin asked . . . 120 

Dropping to her knees, she reached for the 

TINY BOX . 160 

“Do YOU SUPPOSE THAT COUld BE PATRICIA?” 

Dorothy asked 


202 




\ ■ I 





- vK 



» '. • \ 

, \ 


DOROTHY DAINTY’S 
TREASURE CHEST 


CHAPTER I 

THE TREASURE CHEST 

T he living-room at the Stone House 
looked as if it had been transformed 
into a museum of rare and costly ob- 
jects. 

Soft silken draperies, filmy laces, fine jade 
and coral, and many wonderfully carved 
pieces made a collection which any one 
would have been proud to possess. Mr. 
Dainty had described these lovely things 
that he had purchased, and the entire house- 
hold had been impatiently waiting for them 
to arrive. 


9 


10 DOROTHY DAINTY'S TREASURE CHEST 

Isn’t that soft yellow satin beautiful?” 
Nancy whispered, and Aunt Charlotte 
heard, and replied, ‘‘That is a Turkish 
satin, Nancy” she said, “and its luster is 
almost like metal.” 

“And see these lovely strings of beads, 
coral, and green, such a lovely green!” 
Nancy said. 

“The green jade beads are for Dorothy, 
and the red coral for you, Nancy,” said Mr. 
Dainty who had just come in from the porch. 

“That very beautiful carved chair, and 
the feather fan with carved sticks, now ly- 
ing on the seat of the chair, I chose especi- 
ally for you, dear,” Mr. Dainty said, turn- 
ing toward his wife. 

“Oh, Rudolph, nothing could better please 
me,” she said. 

“I didn’t forget you. Aunt Charlotte.” 

As he spoke, Mr. Dainty laid a soft blue 


THE TREASVRE CHEST 


11 


silk shawl around Aunt Charlotte’s shoul- 
ders. It was embroidered with roses in 
natural colors, and edged with fringe fully 
a half-yard deep. 

‘‘And here is the little treasure chest, Dor- 
othy that I tried to describe to you. Do 
you remember that I said it was beautifully 
carved and inlaid? Tell me, dear, does it 
look as you thought it would?” 

“Yes, it truly does, only it is much hand- 
somer than I dreamed. You told me of the 
pretty pattern of its carving, and the quaint 
old metal clasp, but it is more wonderful 
than I thought. Father, is it to be mine?” 

“Surely, Dorothy^ I chose it, believing 
that you would like to have it for your own. ” 

“I can’t tell you how dear it is,” said 
Dorothy. 

“Come, Nancy, let’s get Flossie Barnet, 
and Molly Merton over here to see it. 


12 DOROTHY DAINTY'S TREASURE CHEST 

Only yesterday I was trying to tell Flossie 
how fine it was to be, but I^d not seen it 
then, and I had to try to repeat what Father 
had said.” 

‘‘You may surely ask Flossie and Molly 
over to see the pretty little chest, but wait, 
dear, until we have arranged some of the 
lovely things, so that they can all be seen,” 
Mr. Dainty said. 

“It is so hard to wait to show my gift,” 
Dorothy said, slowly. 

“Could we take the little chest out on the 
lawn?” Nancy asked, eagerly. 

“Oh, yes, and have Molly and Flossie over 
to see it, instead of waiting?” Dorothy 
asked, and Mrs. Dainty smiled at the eager- 
ness in her voice. 

“Surely you may, if you wish,” she said, 
and Dorothy and Nancy rushed out on the 


THE TREA8VRE CHEST 


13 


porch, calling to the gardener who was 
tramping along the walk, a rake over his 
shoulder. 

^^Oh, John, do be dear, and take this out 
on the lawn for me*?” cried Dorothy. 

Sure Oi will. Miss Dorothy, or to South 
Ameriky, ef yez ax me,” John replied. 

‘^Oh, is it this featherweight trunk yez 
want tooken out?” he asked. 

‘^Sure, I fought Oi’d hav ter ax the 
groom ter come over from the other end 
of the garden ter help me, fer Oi’d niver 
darest ter ax the butler,” said John. 

‘‘Why are you afraid of the butler?” Dor- 
othy asked. 

“Because he looks at me thot quare-loike, 
as if he fought me a bug of some kind thot 
belonged in the gar ding, and oughtn’t ter 
come oufn it,” was the droll reply. 


14 DOROTHY DAINTY'S TREASURE CHEST 

‘'Oh, but Dorothy thinks you are just 
kind and good and dear,’’ said Nancy, “and 
so do 1.” 

“Bless yer dear little hearts,” said John, 
“an’ Oi’d rather hov the love of the childer 
thon the foine regard of the butler ony day, 
regardless of his grandeur.” 

“The butler is good, too,” Dorothy said 
quickly. 

“An’ ye’d shpake a good word for any 
one on the place,” said John. “No wonder 
we all love yez,” and he walked away, a 
twinkle in his kindly eyes, and a wee bit of 
moisture, too. 

Dorothy and Nancy sat down to admire 
the lovely inlaid work, and carving. 

There were bits of rainbow-tinted pearl, 
tiny diamond-shaped pieces of silver, and 
many different kinds of wood, all inlaid 
in a wonderfully charming design. 


THE TREASURE CHEST 


15 


Dorothy bent to study it closely, while 
Nancy leaned forward to examine the quaint 
lock. A second later Dorothy sprang to her 
feet. 

‘■‘Oh, we’ll not have to call for them. 
J ust listen, N ancy ! They ’re coming ! ’ ’ cried 
Dorothy. “I hear them!” 

Nancy, looking up at Dorothy saw the 
eager light in her blue eyes. 

Dorothy pointed toward the porch, and 
there, sure enough, stood Molly and Flossie. 

“Come on over here,” cried Nancy, and 
down the steps and over the lawn they raced. 

“Oh, the lovely, lovely colors!” cried 
Flossie. 

“What will you keep in it?” questioned 
Molly. 

Molly always wished to know the use of 
any object that she admired. 

“I don’t know yet,” Dorothy said, “but 


16 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TREASVRE CHEST 

Father says it is an antique treasure chest, 
and that some great lady owned it and kept 
her jewels in it, so I think I’ll put only 
things that I care most for in it. I mean 
those things that I would least like to lose.” 

“Do you know the first thing that you 
will put in it^” Flossie asked. 

“I think I do,” Dorothy said, “but I’m 
not quite sure, yet.” 

“Wouldn’t you like to know about the 
great lady who owned it?” Flossie asked, 
adding, “and what her name was and where 
she lived?” 

“And what she kept in it?” Molly added. 

“My father knows her name, and all 
about her, and he said when all the beauti- 
ful things had been unpacked, and places 
chosen for them, he would tell me all about 
the wonderful little chest,” said Dorothy. 


THE TREA8VBE CHEST 


17 


‘‘Well, I’m just wild to hear it,’’ said 
Flossie. 

A few days later Mr. Dainty was sitting 
on the porch, reading a very old-looking 
leather-bound book, when around the corner 
of the house came Dorothy, Nancy, Molly, 
Flossie, and Katie Dean. 

They had been running races, and now 
were glad to pause for a rest. 

“Oh, such a run!” cried Molly, “I’m all 
out of breath.” 

“The one least tired ought to tell a story 
while the others listen,” declared Nancy. 

“Then it must be your turn. Father dear,” 
Dorothy said, leaning lovingly against him, 
as if to coax. 

“You’re a group of breathless little 
racers,” said Mr. Dainty, “so as I’ve not 
been running. I’ll agree to tell a story, and 


18 DOROTHY DAlNTY^S TREASURE CHEST 

it shall be the story of Lady Mary Anne 
Augusta, daughter of Lord Lengton, of 
Lengton Castle, situated in a picturesque 
part of England. Lord Lengton was a great 
land-owner, and the possessor of the now 
famous ‘Treasure Chest.’ 

“Little Lady Mary’s mother was frail and 
did not live to see her lovely baby, having 
died when it was born, and Lord Lengton ’s 
sister. Lady Uffingwell, came at once to the 
castle to care for the wee baby, that is, more 
properly speaking to see that others cared 
for it, for the castle boasted sixty servants, 
among them two nurses for tiny Lady 
Mary. 

“As soon as she was old enough to study, 
a number of tutors were engaged. There 
were languages to be studied, and the little 
girl thought it very tedious to be obliged 
to learn to speak and write Italian and 


THE TREA8VBE CHEST 


19 


French, to be trained to play the harp, to 
spend long hours at an embroidery frame, 
to listen to the dapper little Frenchman, who 
was a master of the art of dancing of that 
time, while he described the figures of the 
stately minuet, and then sharply criticised 
her least error. 

^‘Thus were her days closely occupied, 
with but little time for play, for often when 
the lessons were over for the day, and the 
books laid aside, her pony was at the door, 
led by her riding-master, mounted upon one 
of Lord Lengton’s horses, and behind her 
he rode, constantly calling to her, to, ‘Sit 
erect,’ ‘Hold the lines closer to the saddle,’ 
or, ‘Look out for thy elbows. Lady Mary. 
Keep them close to the side,’ 

“It is recorded that one sunny day the 
little girl snatched the opportunity, when 
her teacher drew rein that he might watch 


20 DOROTHY DAINTY'S TREASURE CHEST 

the pheasants over in the field, and touching 
her pony smartly with her riding-crop, she 
dashed away, looking over her shoulder to 
laugh, but not even attempting to lessen her 
speed. 

‘‘Of course the riding instructor com- 
plained to Lord Lengton that he could not 
teach the small girl, if instead of listening 
she rode away laughing, and Lord Lengton 
sent for his little daughter. 

“Quietly she listened while he talked, but 
he was not at all sure that she intended do- 
ing better, until he showed her a little 
treasure chest. ‘Now, little daughter,’ he 
said, ‘each day that thy work is praised by 
thy teachers, thou shalt write, “Good,” on a 
slip of paper, and drop it into this chest. 
Also on each day that thou art reproved for 
idleness, or error, “Bad” must thou write 
on a bit of paper, and drop that, also, in the 


THE TREASURE CHEST 21 

chest. At the end of the month we’ll take 
the slips of paper out and see if there be 
more ‘ ‘ good ’ ’ than ^ ‘ bad ’ ’ ones. ’ 

‘^The little girl thought that would be 
great fun, and resolved to have many ‘good’ 
ones for the next month. She remembered 
that three times she had hidden in a little 
tower room of the castle, in order that she 
night avoid her French lesson. She thought 
of her impatience when her silks had be- 
come knotted while she sat at her embroi- 
dery frame, and she had twitched them so 
that the knots had pulled tighter than be- 
fore. Now that she had the lovely chest, 
she felt that she must honor it by tossing 
into it many, many papers clearly marked ; 
‘Good.’ ” 

“And did she?” Dorothy asked eagerly, 
her eyes bright with interest. 

“She did, indeed,” Mr. Dainty said, “and 


22 DOROTHY DAINTY'S TREASURE CHEST 

she made a finer record than she had ever 
dreamed of, for she had thought only of 
careful doing of her daily tasks, and of 
pleasing her tutors, and her father. 

‘‘A few weeks after the day on which 
her father had talked with her, she was 
playing in the garden, when two cavaliers 
rode up to the gateway, and shouted to the 
man who was trimming the shrubbery : 

‘Gro up to the castle, my man, and tell 
thy master he has visitors!’ cried the fore- 
most of the two riders. 

‘‘ ‘That I cannot do, for my lord is not at 
the castle,’ the servant replied. 

“ ‘And if not at the castle, where is he? 
Speak up now, for we are not over patient, ’ 
shouted the cavalier, ‘and do thou open the 
gates that we may ride up to the castle 
door. ’ 

^‘Little Lady Mary knew that her father 


THE TREASVRE CHEST 


23 


was at home, and with her heart beating 
fast, she ran from behind the high hedge 
where she had been listening, and up the 
stairway to the library where she believed 
that Lord Lengton was reading. 

^Father,’ she cried, as she ran to him, 
Hhere are two bold soldiers at the gates, and 
old Adrian did not mean to let them enter, 
but even now they are riding up to the door. 
Adrian said, ‘^My lord is not at the castle,’’ 
and oh, I believe he knows they are bad 
men!’ 

‘‘ ‘I know who they must be, and they are 
traitors to our king. Take this folded 
parchment, and hide it among thy toys in 
the nursery. Soldiers would never look 
there for anything of value. ’ 

‘But, Father, will they be angry when 
they find that Adrian lied to them? Will 
they do thee harm?’ 


24 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TREASURE CHEST 

‘Be brave, little daughter, and remem- 
ber that thou art the child of Lord Lengton. 
Do not show any terror, but seem to be 
happily at play with the dolls in the nursery. 
I shall hide in the secret chamber, and if 
they find me, which I greatly .doubt, they 
will not find, upon my person, the king’s 
papers that must be guarded. Hide them 
well. Lady Mary, and be thou bra^e!’ 

“ ‘I will, Father,’ the little girl said, as 
firmly as an older person might have spoken. 

“Just as Lord Lengton left the nursery, 
a maid entered. 

“ ‘Oh, the ruffians!’ she cried. ‘They be 
down in my lord’s study even now, and they 
be pulling down tapestries, never minding if 
they tear them, so they can find what they’re 
hunting for, and who knows what that mav 
be?’ 


THE TBEASVBE CHEST 


25 


‘‘ ‘Hush, Hilda !’ cried the little girl, ‘they 
must not think us frightened, my father said 
so. He is in hiding, and this packet I must 
hide for him. Quick, get me the old cloth 
bag that I keep dolls’ clothes in. In the bot- 
tom of the bag I’ll hide the packet, pile all 
the dolls’ clothes back into the bag, and stuff 
a doll on top, for good measure.’ 

When the cloth bag was refilled, and 
thrown carelessly upon the nursery fioor 
among a litter of toys, no one would have 
dreamed of looking there for anything of 
value. 

“ ‘Now get me a frock that belongs to the 
gardener’s little girl, and oh, be quick, make 
haste, I beg.’ 

“When the puzzled maid returned with 
the coarse little dress, the little Lady Mary 
lost no time in slipping out of hei" 


26 DOROTHY DAINTY’8 TREASURE CHEST 

beautiful dress, and into the coarse frock of 
the gardener’s child. 

‘Take the ribbon from my hair, and 
tousle my curls so I may look unkempt. ’ 

“The maid, still wondering, did as she 
was bid. 

“ ‘Lady Mary!’ she gasped, ‘thou lookest, 
mayhap, like a servant’s child!’ 

“ ‘That’s what I wish,’ replied Lady 
Mary, ‘for if I am thought to be a servant’s 
child. I’ll surely be too shy to dare to answer, 
if they try to question me. Let them think 
I am thy little girl, Hilda, and if they speak 
to me. I’ll not answer as I should, but look 
down at my shoes, and drop a courtesy, but 
utter never a word. My shaking voice 
would betray my terror, but in this garb, 
they’ll not wonder that I speak not.’ 

“And now heavy boots were tramping 


THE TREASURE CHEST 27 

along the gallery, and in a few moments the 
portieres were rudely pushed aside, and the 
two cavaliers strode in. They turned to 
Hilda. 

^By my faith, this is a nursery, and art 
thou the nurse?’ said one. 

‘‘Hilda’s knees were shaking, and well 
she knew that her voice would shake as well, 
so she simpered, and courtesied, and twisted 
the corner of her apron, making no answer. 

“ ‘Does this unkempt urchin belong to 
thee?’ questioned the younger of the two 
men. 

“Hilda made another courtesy, but not a 
word came from her lips. 

“ ‘Know’st thou if it be true that thy 
master, Lord Lengton, is away from the 
castle, or if he be in hiding? Speak, lass, 
unless thou be too simple for speech.’ 


28 DOROTHY DAINTY'S TREASURE CHEST 

‘If they think me but a poor fool, all 
the better,’ thought Hilda, still twisting her 
apron, and grinning. 

“ ‘Try the little one,’ said the man who 
had been speaking, to his companion. 

“ ‘How about thee, little lass? Canst an- 
swer better than thy stupid mother?’ 

“Lady Mary, sitting on the floor, and 
building houses with some blocks, might 
have been deaf, for all the heed she paid to 
her questioner. The soldier stooped and 
roughly grasped her arm. Lady Mary let 
him set her upon her feet. 

“ ‘Now then, child, hast seen the little 
Lady Mary hereabouts?’ 

“She stared at him, but said naught. 

“ ‘By my faith! Both the mother and 
child are but dunderheads, so why waste time 
on the stupid pair?’ 

“But the man persisted. 


THE TREASURE CHEST 


29 


‘If not given to speech, wag thy head, 
yes or no, when I question thee. 

“ ‘Now, hast seen Lady Mary this day, or 
hast seen her father, Lord Lengton? Wag 
thy pate, child. Yes or no?’ 

“Lady Mary peeping through her tangled 
locks, smiled again, and ducked for a 
courtesy, as the servant’s own child would 
have done, but made no answer. 

“‘Come, come!’ said the other cavalier, 
‘I’m not a patient waiter. Have done with 
trying to work an empty well. These two 
have not so much as a half a brain between 
them, and if Lord Lengton hires such dum- 
mies for servants, he can’t be bright enough, 
himself, to have been given charge of papers 
valued by the king. It’s plain to me that 
Lord Lengton is not the man, and we’ve been 
wasting precious time bunting through the 
wrong castle.’ 


30 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TREASURE CHEST 

^ Could it be Castle Tremayne that was 
meant in the message that was sent to us 

‘I know not/ replied the other ^but this 
I know. WeVe searched thoroughly here, 
and neither the papers nor the lord of the 
castle are here, so let’s be off, and on our 
way to Castle Tremayne, and may we have 
better luck,’ •and with that the two men 
strode out into the hall, and soon they were 
cantering down the avenue, their hoof -beats 
making merry music for Lady Mary’s ears. 
Lord Lengton, from a loophole in the secret 
tower chamber, saw them depart, and 
watched until he saw that they were well on 
their way to Tremayne Castle, before he left 
his hiding-place. Then he ordered his own 
horse to be saddled and bridled, and calling 
upon two of his faithful retainers to act as a 
body-guard, he rode forth, in an opposite 


THE TREASVBE CHEST 


31 


direction, to carry the precious parchment 
to his king. 

‘‘Lord Lengton was praised, after being 
richly rewarded by the king for the safe 
delivery of the precious papers, and was 
ordered to bring the little Lady Mary to the 
palace, ‘I would know the little Lady Mary, 
for never have I heard of so clever, so brave 
a little lass,’ said the king. 

“ ‘She shall be the wee guest of her king 
and queen, there shall be a festival in her 
honor, -and in the midst of the festivities, her 
father shall learn of a greater reward for 
priceless service than mere words of his 
grateful king.’ ” 


CHAPTER II 

ARABELLA 

F oe a long time the little friends sat 
talking of the little girl who had been 
so brave, for the story of Lady Mary had 
greatly pleased them. 

Mr. Dainty had told them that later, when 
she had grown to be a tall young girl, she 
kept her jewels in the Treasure Chest. 

From talking of Lady Mary, they began 
to talk of schoolmates, and to wonder which 
would have been so brave, or so quick- 
witted to think of posing as a bashful child. 

know who would be least likely, and 
that is Arabella,” said Molly. 


32 


ARABELLA 


33 


^‘She might be brave,’’ said Katie ‘‘but 
she’s slow to think.” 

“And slow to speak,” Molly said. 

“Maybe she’s quick at something,” Flos- 
sie Barnet said. Flossie always tried to say 
something good of every one. 

While they were talking of her, Arabella 
was showing her slow wit, and Jack Tiver- 
ton was amused. 

“Say it again. Jack,” she was saying; “It 
may be I know what you mean, but I’m not 
sure.” 

Jack looked over his shoulder as he ran 
along the avenue, and laughed as he re- 
peated what he had said. 

“I said that any one could find May- 
fiowers over in Fasten ’s woods, by just walk- 
ing over there, and staying long enough.” 

“But it’s only March,” objected Arabella, 


34 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TREASURE CHEST 

‘‘they don’t blossom as early as that, Jack 
Tiverton!” Jack turned again, laughing 
as before. 

“It’s true,” he said, with an impish 
grin, “It’s really true.”’ Arabella stood 
looking after him, and long after he was 
out of sight she still stood there thinking of 
what he had said. 

“What was he laughing at?” she said, 
softly. “He said it was true, so why did he 
grin?” 

There was no one near to answer and after 
a moment, she turned and walked toward 
home. She was thinking of a number of 
things that she wished to do, when Aunt 
Matilda’s sharp eyes would not be watching 
her. Not one of the things of which she was 
thinking was naughty, but Aunt Matilda 
had a habit of objecting to whatever Arabella 


ARABELLA 


35 


thought of doing, whether it was naughty or 
not, so Arabella had to be cautious. When 
she reached the side porch, she met Aunt 
Matilda, who was going out. 

“I’m going over to Mrs. Walden’s,” she 
said, “and I’ve been waiting for you to 
come, so you could go with me if you want 
to.” 

“Well, I’m sure I don^t want to,” Ara- 
bella said stoutly. 

^ ‘ Grood land ! Why do you talk like that ? 
The last time I took you there you were 
wild over the cat and kittens you saw there.” 

“I know it,” Arabella said, “but all the 
time I was playing with them, I couldn’t 
help hearing her tell about so many aches 
and pains, that before I knew it I began to 
ache, too.” 

“What nonsense! You couldn’t ache 


36 DOROTHY DAINTY'S TBEASTJBE CHEST 

just from hearing what she said,” Aunt 
Matilda said as she took a firm hold on Ara- 
bella ’s arm, and peered into her face. 

‘^Well, I did ache, and I wonder you 
didn’t ache, too, for she told about a bunion 
on her foot, and a pain in her nose, and she 
said her back was lame, and she thought she 
had ‘rheumatiz’ in her elbow, and she said 
she had earache all night, and then she said 
her mouth was so sore that she couldn’t talk, 
and she said it after telling all that, too.” 

Mercy sakes, Arabella! How did you 
remember all that?” 

Aunt Matilda looked amazed. 

“She told it over as much as twenty 
times,” Arabella drawled, “and I thought 
then I’d never go there again.” 

“Does sound sort of dull,” said Aunt 
Matilda, “I guess you needn’t go, if you 
don’t want to.” 


ARABELLA 


37 


Arabella knew that that call would be a 
long one, so she would have plenty of time to 
do what she had planned. 

She took a warm cloak, and a small hat 
from the closet in the hall, and then went 
through the house to the woodshed, where 
she found a basket. 

She paused for a moment before putting 
on the cloak. 

‘^Jack said any one could find them by 
walking over there and staying long enough. 
I might get hungry. I’m some hungry now, 
so I’ll just take a bit of lunch along. ” 

A moment later she was wondering where 
Aunt Matilda had put food, so hidden that 
it could not be found. 

Some cookies, a doughnut, and an apple 
went into her basket. 

She knew that there must be cake some- 
where in the closet, but the moments were 


38 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TREASURE CHEST 

flying, and she thought best to be on the way 
to Faston’s woods. She had been there once 
at a picnic party, and she remembered 
vaguely that she left the road, and crossed a 
fleld, climbed over a low wall, went across 
another fleld and she was not quite sure 
whether she would then have reached the 
woodland, or if, instead, there were more 
flelds to cross. 

She set out alone, because she wished to 
be the flrst to And the Mayflowers. 

It proved to be a longer walk than she had 
thought, and after crossing two small flelds, 
and clambering over two low stone walls, 
crossing a tiny brook that she surely did not 
remember having seen on the day of the 
picnic, she came to a little grove that seemed 
too small to be called a wood. 

Arabella stopped and looked doubtfully at 
the trees. 


ARABELLA 


39 


Seems to me that’s a skimpy-looking 
piece of woodland,” she drawled, but there 
was no one there to accept or dispute what 
she said, and she walked over to the nearest 
tree, and seating herself on the dry moss, 
she ate her lunch. 

Funny where Aunt Matilda hid the 
cake,” she muttered, when she had eaten the 
last bit, and had shaken the crumbs from her 
basket. 

“That lunch seemed even smaller than I 
thought it was,” she said, as she rose, and 
looked about her. 

It was evident, at a glance, that no May- 
flowers had been so bold as to open any of 
their fragrant blossoms in so uninviting a 
place. 

“I’d know better than even to look for 
them here,” said Arabella, and she tramped 
on through the grove, coming out into a little 


40 DOROTHY DAINTY'S TREASURE CHEST 

open spot where the sun lay and there be- 
yond was actual woodland. 

‘ ‘ There ! That must be Fasten ’s woods ! ’ ’ 
she cried, and hastened forward, entering 
the bit of forest, convinced that she had 
reached the place where Mayflowers were to 
be found. Now the search began. 

Down on her knees she quickly dropped, 
and began pushing aside dry leaves, and 
dryer moss, working her way along upon her 
knees, as she continued to hunt for the pink 
blossoms. 

So intent was she upon flnding them, that 
she took no heed, as to direction in which she 
was going, nor did it occur to her to wonder 
how far she had progressed, until after long 
searching, she realized that her shoulders 
were aching, and her knees decidedly tired. 

She rose, stiffly, and looked about her, and 


ARABELLA 


41 


she was astonished to find that she had been 
travelling in such a direction that there were 
unfamiliar things all about her. 

That immense tree, with such a great hole 
in its trunk, — surely she had not noticed 
that. A big stump, cut almost to the 
ground, and nearly covered with queer, 
shell-like fungus, — that was something that 
she had not seen, and as she turned a great 
ledge confronted her. She stared at it. 

^‘Well, I never saw that ledge before, and 
as big as it is, I don^t see how I could help 
seeing it!” she cried. 

She did not realize that she had not once 
looked up, since she had dropped to her 
knees and commenced her search for the 
sweet flowers that Jack Tiverton had said 
might be found there. 

She looked about her and for the first 


42 DOROTHY DAlNTY^S TREA8VBE CHEST 

time felt the loneliness of the forest. She 
wondered why it seemed darker than when 
she had first entered the woods. 

She did not dream how long she had been 
there, and one thing she did not know, was 
that the sky that had been blue was now 
overcast, and heavy clouds were rolling up. 
Now and then a big raindrop fell, and it 
looked as if at any moment a downpour 
might be expected. 

^‘I’m going home, and I’ll come over an- 
other day, and I ’ll make Leander come with 
me,” she thought. 

She had no idea of which way to turn, in 
order that she might be sure that she was 
going toward home. 

The ledge had many crevices and pro- 
jections and half-way toward the top a shell- 
like piece of stone looked as if designed for 
a cosy little seat. 


ARABELLA 


43 


Arabella was just thinking that the next 
time that she came to the place, she would 
climb up there, and sit on that little shelving 
bit of rock, when down came the rain, and 
without stopping to think, she clambered to 
that little seat. Drawing her cloak about 
her, she cowered there, the overhanging top 
of the ledge acting as a very small umbrella. 
It kept off some of the downpour. She had 
climbed up there by getting a foothold 
wherever a bit of stone projected, and she 
now perched there, wondering when the 
shower would be over, but wondering still 
more how she would get down. 

Arabella was always ready to climb to any 
height, but she never liked getting down. 

A terrific crash of thunder made her cry 
out in terror, and clasping her hands around 
her knees, she braced herself, as if she feared 
the thunder might unseat her. Her small 


44 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TEEASVRE CHEST 

hat-brim was fringed with the pouring rain, 
and a hollow at the base of the ledge was 
full of water. She wondered why Leander 
didn’t come for her. She thought he really 
might. She thought Aunt Matilda ought to 
have sent him for her long ago. She told 
herself that she was being neglected. 

Never once did it occur to Arabella that 
no one at home had the least idea where she 
had gone. At the very time that she was 
thinking that Leander ought to come for her, 
he was searching all over the town for her. 

And when later he did find her, it was 
just a happening. He had gone over a 
roundabout course, and finally arrived at 
the big tract of woodland. 

He had left home and gone quite around 
the town, and he now stood at that part of 
the woodland that was farthest from his 
home. 



Clasping her hands about her knees, she braced herself 

Page 43. 








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ARABELLA 


45 


‘‘It’ll be nice and wet in the woods,” he 
said half aloud, “but the shortest way home 
is to cut right through them, and that’s what 
I’U do!” 

He plunged in under dripping branches, 
and had walked but a short distance when, 
hearing his name called, he stopped in the 
middle of the path and gazed about him. 

“Here, Leander! Eight over here!” 
cried a voice that he well knew. 

“Well, where he shouted, none too 
tenderly, for he was wholly tired of hunting 
fcr his cousin, whenever she was out longer 
than Aunt Matilda thought right, or helping 
her out of scrapes that she foolishly got 
into. 

“Over here!” drawled Arabella, but the 
rising wind was whistling through the tree- 
tops, and carried her cries in any direction 
so that Leander could do nothing but stand 


46 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TBEASVRE CHEST 

on the spot where he had stopped, and turn 
around and about, while peering intently 
with his near-sighted eyes. 

‘^Say! Holler again!’’ he shouted. 

^^Here! Right }iereV’ wailed Arabella. 

Happening to look upward, he suddenly 
spied Arabella crouching in the little niche. 

“What in the world are you doing up 
there?” said Leander, *as he made his way 
toward her. 

“Why didn’t you come along over to the 
path to meet me instead of sitting there and 
shouting?” he said, now completely dis- 
gusted. 

“You just help me down from this horrid 
place, and you’ll see why. I climbed up 
here, easily, but I couldn’t get down. The 
rocks are wet, and slippery, so I had to wait 
until some one came for me. 


ARABELLA 


47 


‘‘Well, I don’t see anything to laugh at. 
I guess you wouldn’t think it was funny to 
sit, for just hours and hours on a ledge 
that was only just barely big enough to sit 
on.” 

Leander continued to laugh. 

“You certainly looked comical, roosting 
up there!” he said, with a chuckle. 

“Why did you climb up there? You 
must have known that you couldn’t climb 
down.” 

“I wasn’t thinking about getting down/’ 
grumbled Arabella, “I was only planning to 
climb up.” 

Leander said something, under his breath, 
about “just like a girl,” and Arabella did 
not ask him what he said. She knew that 
she would rather not hear it. 

For a time they walked in silence, tramp- 


48 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TREASVRE CHEST 

ing along over the wet leaves, Arabella do- 
ing her best to keep up with Leander’s long 
strides. After a time he spoke. 

‘‘Say, Arabella! Why did you ever 
climb up onto that funny roost? Tell a 
fellow, can’t you? I’m simply wild to 
know.” 

“Why, Leander Correyville! I’d think 
you’d know that! I climbed up there to 
get out of the rain, so I could keep dry. 
Well, what are you laughing at 

“Oh, oh — Arabella!” he roared. “To 
keep out of the rain, and you’re wet to the 
skin! My, O my!” 

“Well, I still don’t see why you laugh,” 
said Arabella, “for how could I know that 
the rain could reach me there? I thought 
that overhanging rock just above where I 
sat would act like an umbrella, and keep the 
rain off me, and instead of that, the water 


ARABELLA 


49 


just poured off from it, and right down 
into my lap. 

“Well, I guess you can’t help laughing. 
You’re started, and you can’t stop, that’s 
all.” 

No one had ever known Arabella to show 
the least bit of spunk before. 

Leander was astonished. 

“Well, I declare! Who ever dreamed 
that you had vim enough to speak right out 
like that! Honestly, I’d rather you’d be 
mad with me, and sputter like that, than see 
you act as if you were about half awake.” 

Arabella made no reply. She was think- 
ing deeply. 

She had heard all that Leander had said, 
and she was wondering if she would dare to 
answer Aunt Matilda in the same way in 
which she had answered him. She hoped 
that, when Aunt Matilda began to ask ques- 


50 DOROTHY DAINTY'S^ TREASURE CHEST 

tions as to where she had been, why she 
had gone, and why she had not returned 
sooner, Leander would stand near her. She 
thought she could answer braver if he were 
there. 

Aunt Matilda’s eagle eyes espied the two 
dripping figures as they came up the path, 
and she rushed to the door to meet them. 

Arabella was so eager to prove her spunk 
to Leander, that, without waiting for Aunt 
Matilda to ask a single question, she poured 
forth all that she had been planning to say. 

went because I went, and I’m wet be- 
cause I’m wet, and I couldn’t climb down 
tiU Leander helped me!” 

A chair stood in the hallway, and Aunt 
Matilda, in her astonishment, stepped back 
against it, and sat down so suddenly upon it 
that she gasped for breath. 

‘‘Why, Arabella Dorinda Correyville! I 


ARABELLA 


51 


never knew you to talk like that/’ she cried, 
do believe you’re out of your head. You 
never talked nor looked like that. If I 
thought you were well, you’d certainly be 
shut up in your room to think over your 
naughtiness and repent, but you’re surely 
sick. You look sort o’ crazy, and so I’ll not 
punish you, but instead. I’ll put you to bed, 
with plenty of blankets over you, and I’ll 
make a cup of ginger tea with a little red 
pepper in it. It’s almost dinner time but 
no one in your condition ought to eat.” 

‘^Oh, Aunt Matilda! I’m so hungry,” 
wailed Arabella. 

‘‘I don’t doubt it, but it isn’t a natural 
hunger. It’s a sure sign you need that cup 
of ginger tea, but I guess you’d better take 
a bowlful of it. Come! Don’t stand there 
whispering to Leander. I must get you into 
bed at once.” 


52 DOROTHY DAINTY'S TREA8VBE CHEST 


Arabella dared not refuse. 

She wished she knew what Leander was 
trying to say to her, but at that moment, 
Aunt Matilda took her firmly by the arm, 
and hurried her up-stairs. 

Later, Leander went up to see her, and 
finding half a bowlful of the hated ginger 
tea that Aunt Matilda had left for Arabella 
to finish drinking, he emptied it out of the 
window, produced a piece of cold chicken, 
a biscuit, and a sauce-dish full of her favor- 
ite pudding. Arabella ate ravenously, and 
told Leander he was certainly the best boy in 
Merrivale, but she did not tell him about 
searching for Mayflowers. She did not care 
to be laughed at again. 


CHAPTER III 


VERA^S WHIMS 

“T T 7E’RE going to the shore! We’re 
▼ T going to the shore!” sang Dor- 
othy. 

We ’ll have a lovely time,” Nancy said. 
‘^We always do at the shore, or anywhere/^ 
she added, laughing. 

^‘Yes, anywhere/’ agreed Dorothy, ‘‘but 
truly I do love the shore, and this place that 
we’re going to joins Foam Ridge, and it is 
just a little village called Kelpmore. Its 
beach is called the finest along that part of 
the coast, and there will be new things to see, 
and ” 

“And a pleasant surprise for you both,” 
Mrs. Dainty said, “for here, is a letter 


53 


54 DOROTHY DAINTY'S TREASURE CREST 

that I have just received from Mrs. Vane, 
telling me that she is going into the country 
for rest and quiet, and that Vera is begging 
for permission to accept an invitation which 
I sent a few days ago. I knew that Mrs. 
Vane intended going to the country, and be- 
lieved that Vera preferred the shore.” 

^‘Oh, she does, I know she does!” cried 
Dorothy and Nancy, as if with one breath. 

‘‘Then I’ll send for Vera, asking Mrs. 
Vane to let her come here to the Stone 
House, and we’ll start together for the 
shore.” 

Three day later, Vera arrived, and what 
a welcome they gave her, and on the follow- 
ing day a happy party sailed toward Kelp- 
more. 

Mr. and Mrs. Dainty, and Aunt Charlotte, 
Uncle Harry and his wife, with Flossie, and 
Elfin, Dorothy, Nancy, and Vera. 


YEBA^S WHIMS 


55 


We ’ll not be lonesome,” said Uncle 
Harry, ‘‘because our party is so large and 
so jolly.” 

Two charming cottages had been leased, 
and the two families at once felt “at home,” 
and very glad that they had chosen Kelp- 
more for their “vacation home.” 

Mrs. Barnet was abroad, and dear little 
Flossie was staying with her Uncle Harry 
until her mother’s return. 

One morning, about a week after their 
arrival at Kelpmore, Vera sat in a reed 
chair in the living-room, a big book on her 
lap, and her finger between its pages, as if 
she had been intently reading, and had 
paused to think. 

The book was a learned treatise on con- 
chology, but Vera had not been reading. 
She had enjoyed the fine pictures of many 


56 DOROTHY DAINTY'S TREASURE CHEST 

beautiful shells, and her finger marked the 
place where she had found the one that she 
thought the finest shell of all. 

Vera spent little time thinking. Usually 
she did the first thing that occurred to her, 
and — thought it over afterward. This time 
there happened to be a choice of two things, 
or rather of two ways of spending the sunny 
forenoon. 

Dorothy paused on her way through the 
hall, and looked in at Vera, so unusually 
quiet. 

‘‘Oh, Vera, you don’t mind that we are 
going up to the city, do you? We’ll not be 
gone long,” she said. 

“Why, Dorothy, I wasn’t thinking of 
that,” Vera said, quickly. “I was just 
wondering which would be the most fun, 
to go with Antony, or with Geraldine. An- 
tony is going out fishing, and he said I could 


VERA’S WHIMS 


57 


go with him, and Geraldine is going off for a 
long ride on her bicycle, she didn’t say 
where, and she knows a girl that will lend me 
her bicycle if I want to go. 

“If I knew where she was going it would 
be easier for me to choose.” 

“I can help you, Vera,” Mrs. Dainty 
said, as she came in from the piazza, and 
crossed the room to where Vera was sitting. 

Gently she laid her hand on Vera’s 
shoulder as she said, “I am sorry that we 
have to be away a part of to-day, but I have 
to do some shopping for Dorothy and Nancy, 
and we shall return as soon as possible. 

“I think the little trip with Antony would 
be fine, and I should feel that you were safe 
with him, but I would not consent to any 
sort of trip, anywhere^ with Geraldine. 

“Vera, while you are visiting us, I feel 
that I am really responsible for your safety 


58 DOROTHY DAINTY'S TREASURE CHEST 

and your mother, I am sure, trusts me to 
judge wisely for you. 

^‘Geraldine is rightly called ‘Madcap 
Geraldine.’ She cares little what she does, 
so long as it proves to be exciting.” 

“Then I’ll go with Antony,” Vera said 
with a sunny smile, “and that’s so much 
easier than choosing for myself.” 

She drew a long breath, as if a weighty 
matter had been disposed of, and Mrs. 
Dainty felt greatly relieved that Vera, 
bright, fickle Vera, would be in the care 
of Antony Marx, for surely with sturdy 
Antony she could not be fiighty, or careless. 

Vera stood on the wide porch, and swung 
her sailor hat to Dorothy and Nancy, as 
with Mrs. Dainty they entered the phaeton, 
that would take them to the wharf. 

She continued to wave as long as they 
were in sight, and then crowding the hat 


VERA^S WHIMS 


59 


down firmly on her head, she took her 
sweater on her arm, and ran down the beach 
to join Antony. 

Antony had said that he should start on 
the fishing trip, promptly at ten o’clock, and 
he had told Vera, if she wished to go with 
him, she must be on hand at that time. 

Antony had beached his boat in a little 
cove, and Vera started in the direction of 
the cove, but when half-way there she hap- 
pened to espy something that made her stop 
and stare. 

^‘Now, that’s something new!” she said, 
‘‘and I’d just like to know how long it has 
been there. I’ve never seen that before, and 
I don’t believe Dorothy or Nancy has, 
either.” 

With her hand shading her eyes she 
stood for a few moments looking fixedly at 
the odd little building, with its gayly colored 


60 DOROTHY DAINTY'S TREASURE CHEST 

roof, and then she started to run toward 
it. 

Antony, and the fishing trip she had en- 
tirely forgotten. 

Antony waited until his patience gave out, 
and then seating himself in the boat he took 
the oars, saying, under his breath: 

“That shows how much use it is to prom- 
ise to take that girl anywhere. She either 
changes her mind, or forgets all about the 
trip, and whichever it is, it isn’t much of a 
compliment for the chap who invites her.” 

Meanwhile, as Vera neared the tiny build- 
ing, she noticed that the many colors used in 
painting it were even gayer than they had 
appeared at a distance. The tiny building 
boasted a dome-like roof, and rising from 
the center of the dome was a graceful 
minaret. The building was painted to imi- 
tate stone, the dome was bright green, while 


YEEA^S WHIMS 


61 


the minaret was gaudily gilded. The cor- 
nice was scarlet. 

The arched doorway had no door, but 
heavy, many-hued curtains kept curious 
eyes from looking in. Now Vera was always 
very curious, and a closed door would always 
set her wondering what was on the other 
side. 

As she stood before those heavy hangings, 
she was wild to know what sort of persons 
lived there, and what they looked like. 

^‘I^d like to peep,’’ she whispered, her 
cheeks flushed and her eyes bright and eager. 

Now it happened that a pair of shrewd 
eyes were at that very moment closely 
watching Vera. Those eyes watched every 
passer, to learn if he were a possible cus- 
tomer, or only one of the many curious ones 
that daily paused to look at the droll little 
house. Those eyes lighted the crafty face 


62 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TREASURE CHEST 

of an old man, who had come to the shore 
to gather up as many dollars as possible 
during the summer months. 

Vera moved a few steps nearer and 
paused, then again advanced, this time until 
she stood before those heavy woolen hang- 
ings, quite close enough to touch them if 
only she had dared. 

Vera usually did whatever she chose to 
do, but this time, she was afraid to touch 
those hangings because she had no idea who 
might be standing behind them. 

Once she stretched her hand out toward 
them, but she quickly drew it back. 

She was indeed afraid! 

She had a terrified notion that if she at- 
tempted to push those dark red folds apart, 
a long, lean hand would reach out and snatch 
her by the wrist and draw her in, and she 
was not at all sure that she would like to go. 


VEBA^S WHIMS 


63 


For a time slie stood watching the hang- 
ings hoping that some one would come out, 
but no one appeared, and she turned to go. 

‘'I know what I’ll do,” she said softly. 
“I’ll tell Dorothy and Nancy about that 
queer little house, and I’ll tell them all 
about its bright colors, and its funny door- 
way, and I’ll make them so wild to see it 
that they’ll be glad to come over here with 
me, and maybe we’ll see who is in there. I 
do so wonder if the people in there are as 
queer as the little house is.” 

It happened that Mrs. Dainty was able 
to do all the shopping that she had planned 
doing in much less time than she had thought 
possible, and with Dorothy and Nancy, 
reached the house two hours earlier than 
the time that she had set for her return. 

She knew that Antony’s fishing trips were 


64 DOROTHY DAINTY'S TREASURE CHEST 

of varying length, so that she was not sur- 
prised that Vera did not run out to meet 
them, and she felt that she was safe with 
Antony, but Dorothy seemed uneasy, and 
constantly roved from the porch to the win- 
dow, then back again to the porch, pausing 
there to shade her eyes with her hand and 
gaze out across the waves. 

And where was Vera? 

When she had turned from the droll little 
house, she had walked but a little way when 
she remembered that she was to have gone 
with Antony on the fishing trip, and instead 
of being sorry that she had so easily for- 
gotten it, she actually laughed. 

‘‘Wonder how long he waited,’’ she said. 

‘ ‘ Oh, well ! What ’s the difference ? I ’ve 
found that funny little house, and I can go 
with Antony any day.” 

That was Vera’s way. 


VERA^S WHIMS 


65 


Never a thought of having caused incon- 
venience. 

She was charming, and she knew it, and 
she always expected cheerfully to be for- 
given for any delay or annoyance that she 
carelessly caused. Her mother was much 
the same, but her father once said : 

‘‘Have a care, Vera. Sometime, some one 
of your friends will get tired of your pranks, 
and then, and not till then, you’ll begin to 
mend your ways. I don’t mean to be se- 
vere,” he added, “but really, little daughter, 
you must try never needlessly, nor heed- 
lessly to disappoint any one.” 

She listened, and for a second nestled 
closer, then off she flew, to find a favorite 
record for the Victrola. 

Now Antony had been out but a short 
time when he remembered a letter a neigh- 
bor had given him to mail. 


66 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TREASURE CHEST 

With the chance that it might be impor- 
tant, he turned about, and rowed swiftly 
back to the shore, and there found Yera. 

“Oh, 0-0 ! I’m to go on the fishing trip 
after all, and you’ve come back after me? 
Oh, you’re just dear!” she cried. Antony 
laughed, but not very gayly. 

“I didn’t come back for you, Vera,” he 
said, “but if you’ll wait, until I’ve posted 
this letter, I’ll start out, again, and I’ll take 
you along. Say! — Don’t try to get into the 
boat until I come back,” he cried. 

She laughed slyly, but did not reply. 

“I say, ‘Keep out of that boat!’ ” he re- 
peated, but not sure that she would obey, 
he ran, as he turned toward the main road 
that ran parallel with the shore. 

He dropped the letter into the nearest 
letter-box, and, turning, saw what made his 
cheek turn pale. 


VEBA’8 WHIMS 


67 


Vera had not tried to enter the boat, but 
she could not keep from meddling. 

Antony, having beached the boat, had 
dropped the oars, and one had chanced 
barely to be balanced, so that it overhung 
the side of the boat. 

Vera could not have told what prompted 
her to catch at it, and she never knew what 
hit her, but Antony saw the heavy oar roll 
over and out, striking Vera a blow on her 
head. 

‘^Vera, Vera!’’ he cried, as he bent over 
her, but she lay white, and still just where 
the oar had so cruelly felled her. 

He looked up and down the beach, but the 
only persons on the level stretch of glisten- 
ing sand, were too far away to notice him, or 
hear if he called. 

He snatched off his cap, and filled it with 
water, and raced back to bathe her temples. 


68 DOROTHY DAINTY^S TREASURE CHEST 


but he could not revive her. It was a most 
unusual thing for his father and mother 
both to be away, but they had gone on a 
day’s cruise. 

There was but one thing to do. 

Vera was very slender, Antony was large 
of his age, and sturdy. Lifting her gently 
he strode down the beach toward the cottage. 

It was quite a distance to cover, and Vera 
seemed to grow heavier with every step. 

She did not rouse, nor stir, and the anx- 
ious boy wondered if she were actually 
breathing. 

It was most unusual that the beach should 
be deserted. 

Not so much as an ordinary wagon passed 
while he toiled on with his burden. 

He looked down at the white face that 
lay against his shoulder, and, then, as if 


YEEA^S WHIMS 


69 


with renewed strength, strode bravely on. 

Dorothy saw him, just as he had nearly 
reached the porch, and her wild, fright- 
ened cries brought Mrs. Dainty and Aunt 
Charlotte running to learn the cause of her 
terror. 

‘‘Antony! Oh, Antony!” she wailed, 
“What has happened to Vera?” 

The maids had heard her cries, and ran 
out on the porch, followed by the butler, 
who although as curious as they, would not 
so forget his dignity as to run. 

It happened that a physician had taken 
the next cottage for the summer and Antony, 
espying him at an upper window, hailed 
him, with more haste, than deference. 

“Say, doctor! Lend a hand, will you?” 
he shouted, to which came the bluff reply: 

“Sure I will,” and the physician was 


70 DOROTHY DAINTY'S TREASVRE CHEST 

bending over Vera, almost as soon as An- 
tony had laid her on the long cushioned seat 
in the living-room. 

So white she lay upon the cushion, she 
looked like a little marble figure, and Mrs. 
Dainty’s heart stood still with fear. 

She looked toward Aunt Charlotte, and 
each saw fear in the other’s eyes but neither 
spoke. 

‘‘What happened?” the doctor asked as 
he held the small wrist in one strong hand, 
and his watch in the other. 

Antony told him what he had seen. 

“I saw her snatch at the oar, and then, 
somehow she lost her balance, and she and 
the oar came down together, and the oar 
struck her head.” 

After carefully examining her, the doctor 
turned to Mrs. Dainty. 

“The little girl is not badly hurt, only 


VERA^S WHIMS 


71 


stunned by the blow, and when she revives, 
she will suffer because of a severe headache, 
and will complain of feeling very tired. 
You will have no difficulty keeping her 
quiet. She will be only too glad to keep 
still to-day, but keep her quiet to-morrow, 
if you can,” he said, ‘^because, if she has 
practically two days of real rest, she will 
be all right on the third.” 

Then the doctor, taking a glass half -filled 
with water, which a maid had brought, added 
a few drops from a tiny fiask, and with a 
spoon, poured a bit of the liquid between 
Vera’s parted lips. 

She swallowed, but did not open her eyes. 

After a third teaspoonful, she sighed 
heavily, and a moment later, looked up at 
the doctor. 

Her lips moved in an effort to speak, and 
Dorothy knelt beside her. 


72 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TBEASVBE CHEST 

“What do you want to say?’’ she asked. 
“What is it, Vera?” 

“The little house,” Vera whispered, “the 
little house where I stood listening. — ^Who 
came out of that little house and hit me on 
my head, and made it ache so?” 

Dorothy looked frightened, as she shook 
her head, but Antony said : 

“She’s forgotten. It was the oar that 
hit her.” 

Vera was fast recovering now, and she 
looked at Antony with a knowing smile, for 
although too ill to arise, she now clearly 
remembered. 

“Yes, it was the oar,” she agreed, “but 
the funny house, — ^why I’ll tell you all about 
that later,” and not another word would she 
say about it. 

She was very glad to lie still all day, and 
much of the time she slept, but on the follow- 


YERA^S WHIMS 


73 


ing day, it required a deal of coaxing to 
keep her quiet. 

Dorothy and Nancy took turns telling 
fairy tales, and when they had told every 
story that they could remember. Aunt Char- 
lotte told them of happenings in which she 
took part when she was a little girl. The 
three little friends were greatly interested, 
and Vera, usually so restless, held her breath 
as she listened. 


CHAPTER IV 


ABDUL HAPHET 

O N the third day after the accident, 
Vera was quite her joyous self, as 
eager for fun, as full of life as ever. 

Not once had she been over to the droll 
little house, but she had not forgotten it. 

She did not care to go alone to see it, and 
Mrs. Dainty had watched her so closely lest 
she overdo, that there had been no chance to 
tell Dorothy or Nancv about it. 

She wondered to whom it belonged, and 
what sort of person the tenant might be. 
One morning she sat on the rocks, watching 
a vessel that floated over the waves, dipping 
and swaying as the breeze filled its sails. 


74 


ABDUL HAPHET 


75 


Three boys were lounging on the sand at 
the base of the rocks, and Vera did not at 
first notice what they were saying, but after 
a time she began to catch a word here and 
there, and she at once became so curious that 
she leaned forward to listen. 

‘‘ ^Tis his house, I say, and he had it 
painted all those funny colors so it would 
look like the place he lived in when he was at 
home in India.’’ 

'^India!^^ the youngest boy cried, in evi- 
dent disgust, ‘‘Do you b’lieve he really came 
from India?” 

“Sure I do!” said the first speaker. 

“ 17 ? bet he came from, — from, oh any ol’ 
place ’round here,” was the contemptuous 
remark of the boy whom the others called 
Dan, “an’ those ol’ duds he wears he could 
hire at a costumer’s.” 

“I’d hate to be like you, and not be- 


76 DOROTHY DAINTY ^8 TREASURE CHEST 

lieve anything!’’ cried the big boy angrily. 

‘‘And I’d hate to be a big ninny and be- 
lieve whatever was told me,” the small boy 
boldly said, “and, anyhow, who said he came 
from India 

“Oh, a fellow I know,” came the ready 
response, “and say! Inside the little house 
he has all sorts of curious things, and this 
morning, when I passed there, a crowd was 
standing in front of the house, waiting to 
get a peep at him, the moment he came out.” 

“No doubt he’s some one great !” cried the 
saucy small boy. 

“Didn’t you see his turban, and his great, 
long, red what-you-call-it ’way down to his 
feet?” 

“Sure I did, but how do his funny ol’ duds 
prove that he really came from India?” 

“You don’t b ’lieve anything,” the big boy 
responded, “but he came from Bombay, or 


ABDUL HAPHET 


77 


Calcutta, or Ceylon, or Burmah, and he can 
do—” 

‘‘Say! Pick out the name of one place, 
and stick to it,” said the third boy, “because 
’tisn’t likely he came from all of them.” 

“Well, I don’t remember which one he 
came from, but I know one thing — he can 
do magic, and folks say that men that come 
from India can work charms, and do magic 
better than other folks can, and a chap I 
know went over there and put a silver coin 
in his hand, and the man from India told 
that boy that he would surely be President 
some day.” 

“My gracious !” cried the small boy, “that 
chap was just like you. I s’pose he believed 
it?” 

“Sure he did. Didn’t I tell you that Ab- 
dul Haphet came from India?” was the 
angry retort. 


78 DOROTHY DAlNTY^S TREASVRE CHEST 


that his name?’^ cried the other two. 

Abdul Haphet is his name,” the big boy 
declared. 

‘^Sure it isn’t ‘Jim Jones,’ or ‘Sol Smith,’ 
are you?” shouted a teasing voice. The big 
boy glared at the small scoffer. 

^‘His name is ‘Abdul Haphet,’ and you 
can take a walk over there, and see it painted 
on a sign over his door, and then p’haps 
you’ll b’lieve it.” 

“Wasn’t any sign over the doorway yes- 
terday,” persisted the little tease. 

“This isn’t yesterday. It’s to-dayT^ 
shouted the big boy; and Vera waited to 
hear no more. She ran across the level top 
of the big rock, skipped over several smaller 
stones, jumped from the last one, and ran 
along the beach. 

Such speed did she make that she soon 


ABDVL HAPEET 


79 


was standing before the curtained doorway, 
her hands clasped behind her, her eyes up- 
lifted to study the sign. 

Yes, there it was : 

ABDUL HAPHET 
MAGICIAN 

There were odd-looking signs and foreign 
letters on the border of the sign, but the 
name itself stood forth plainly for all to 
read. 

The longer she stood looking at the sign, 
the greater became her longing for a glimpse 
of Abdul Haphet. 

Now it happened that the shrewd old fel- 
low, watching as usual for a customer, had 
seen Vera approaching and he knew that 
she was the same little girl that, a few days 
before, had stood curiously before his door. 


80 DOROTHY DAINTIES TBEA8VRE CHEST 

^‘1 guess it would pay to interest her,” 
he whispered in English that bore no foreign 
accent, and he moved a small tripod closer 
to the portieres. 

He found a match, and set fire to a mass 
of finely cut shavings that lay in the bowl 
of the tripod. Immediately a thin spiral of 
blue smoke curled upward, and the curtains 
parted a few inches as if blown apart by the 
breeze. At a nod from Abdul Haphet, a 
small boy had pulled a string, and the string, 
not the breeze, had parted the curtains. The 
old fellow made a striking figure, as he 
stood clothed in a long, crimson robe, his 
turbaned head bent over the burning con- 
tents of the tripod. 

Vera held her breath, afraid to remain, 
afraid to turn and run away. 

It seemed to her that he would think her 
wholly uninterested in his magic if she ran 


ABDUL HAPHET 


81 


away, and yet if she remained there watch- 
ing him, would he think her prying ? 

A moment later the old faker turned, as 
if just aware that she were there. 

^‘Little Miss, pretty Miss, would you like 
to know the power of the Black Art of 
India r’ 

‘‘Yes, sir, — no — I — oh, I don’t quite know 
what it is,” she said in a voice so evidently 
frightened that he leaned toward her, and 
smiled to re-assure her. 

“You’ve naught to fear, little Miss, but 
do try not to be careless. 

“Only a few days ago you met with an ac- 
cident, caused wholly by your heedlessness. 
Is it not so, little Miss?” 

“Oh — 00 ! Isn’t it won-di^Ylvl for you 
to know that?” cried Vera, never stopping 
to think that he might easily have seen what 
happened from a side window of his house, 


82 DOROTHY DAINTY'S TREASURE CHEST 

which was really just what ‘‘Abdul’’ had 
done. 

“You are a daughter of Mercury, — 
and — ” 

“Why, you got that wrong!” cried Vera, 
“for n^y father’s name is Kobert. It is, 
truly.” 

The old fellow frowned darkly, although 
inside he was chuckling. 

“Place a silver coin, a quarter will do, if 
you haven’t a half-dollar, and I will tell you 
much; for a dollar I could tell you more.” 

“I didn’t bring any money with me,” 
Vera said, “but I’ll come again and, maybe. 
I’ll bring some of my little friends.” 

“You must bring silver, if you would en- 
joy the magic.” 

“Yes, oh, yes!” she said, as she turned and 
raced along the beach toward home. 

Before she reached the house, she paused 


ABDUL HAPHET 


83 


for a moment, as if a sudden thought had 
occurred to her. 

Standing very still, and looking out across 
the waves, she tried to think how best to tell 
Mrs. Dainty about Abdul Haphet, so that 
she would give her consent to the call that 
Vera wished to make at the little gayly 
painted house. 

She was so curious about any tricks that 
were called ‘‘Magic,’’ that she could hardly 
wait to call upon Abdul Haphet, but she did 
not like to go alone. She was a little afraid 
of the shrewd-eyed old man. 

Would Mrs. Dainty approve, or woula 
she firmly say that the three little friends 
must not listen to the words of old Abdul 
Haphet ? 

Vera was not sure about that. 

She reached the cottage just as lunch was 
being served. 


84 DOROTHY BAINTY^S TREASURE CHEST 


Ve hunted everywhere for you,” said 
Dorothy, “but we couldn’t find you.” 

“Where have you been?” Nancy asked, 
and Mrs. Dainty looked up to learn what 
Vera would say. Vera decided to tell one 
place where she had been, but not to mention 
the other. 

“I sat on the rocks for a long time wait- 
ing for you two to come out, and when I was 
tired of waiting, I took a long walk on the 
beach. It was dull, just sitting alone on the 
rocks.” She did not say where else she had 
been. 

Vera was never actually untruthful. If 
Mrs. Dainty had questioned her closely, she 
would have told her all about the tenant of 
the little house. As she was not questioned, 
Vera kept very still, and it was an odd hap- 
pening that during the evening, Mr. Dainty, 


ABDUL HAPHET 


85 


and Uncle Harry told some droll stories of 
different magicians that they had seen. 

remember when I was a student at col- 
lege, an old faker at a small theater did some 
‘stunts’ that we fellows thought exceedingly 
clever. I was mystified then by tricks that 
I now know were very simple. 

“Some of those old fellows, especially 
those who have learned their ‘Black Art,’ as 
they call it, in India, are really clever, and 
could almost persuade you that black was 
white,” Mr. Dainty said. 

Vera whispered softly to herself. 

“I guess there isn’t any harm in listening 
to what that funny old man says, if Mr. 
Dainty says people of that sort are clever.” 

“What are you whispering?” Nancy 
asked, and she laughed at the droll little 
frown on Vera’s usually sunny face. 


86 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TREASURE CHEST 


The next morning the three little friends 
raced along the beach, Vera ahead, and 
Dorothy and Nancy laughing as they tried 
to overtake her. 

thought we were going to take a dip,” 
Dorothy said. 

Vera looked over her shoulder, laughing 
as she said; 

‘‘We are, but not until I show you a 
surprise.” 

“Where?” called Nancy. 

“Oh, just a bit farther along the beach,” 
Vera answered, at the same time increasing 
her speed. 

Once she paused to tramp through the 
shallow pools that the last wave had left be- 
hind it, and then just as the other two were 
about to overtake her, she ran on again. 

She ran, and ran until she stood before 
the curtained doorway of the little house, 


ABDVL HAPUET 


87 


and there she waited for Dorothy and Nancy. 

‘‘Why-ee!’’ exclaimed Dorothy, softly. 

Vera put her finger on her lips, and whis- 
pered, ^‘Hush-sh!” Then aloud she called: 

‘‘Halloo! Halloo! I’ve come.” 

After a second the curtains parted and the 
old man in turban, and long red fiowing 
robes stood before them. His long white 
beard made him look to be much older than 
he really was, and his eyes, peeping out from 
under heavy brows, scanned the three eager 
faces so seriously that no one of them dared 
to speak. 

Vera was first to regain her courage. 

“Please, we’d like to see some magic,” 
she said, “and we’d like to have you tell us 
wonderful things, and I’ve brought some 
money, too, Mr. Ab-something Haph-what- 
you-call-it, oh — I’ve forgotten your funny 
old name.” 


88 DOROTHY DAINTY'S TREA8VRE CHEST 


Dorothy looked quickly at the shrewd face, 
believing that he would be angry. 

He made no reply, appearing not to have 
noticed what Vera had said, so she spoke 
again: 

"^Oh, I remembered to bring some money, 
so here’s three quarters, and I should think 
you might tell us each something for that.” 

The lean, brown hand snatched the 
quarters, and then, as if he felt that that 
much were assured, he drew a little tripod 
from behind one of the curtains, and touched 
a match to a mass of what looked to be cotton 
waste, and like a flash it soon was slowly 
burning, a thin spiral of smoke ascending 
from its midst. 

Bending over the tripod he began chant- 
ing, in a low sing-song manner. 

The chant was absolute jargon, but his 


ABDUL HAPHET 


89 


appearance and manner were so strange, his 
voice so weird, that the three who watched 
him, fairly held their breath. 

^‘Abra, dabra, mogul, mosque, 

Magra, Nadja, sub kiosk, 

Infra — enfra — 

Chancing to look up, he saw a number of 
boys and girls, followed by several ^‘grown- 
ups,” approaching, and with a hasty, 
“That’s all little ladies,” he snatched up the 
tripod, and put it behind a curtain. 

Dorothy and Nancy hesitated, but Vera 
loudly whispered, “Come on!’’ and seizing 
Dorothy’s hand, rushed in behind the parted 
red hangings, Nancy closely following. 
Abdul Haphet smiled as the curtains closed 
behind them. 

“Those people think to see some magic for 
nothing. Well, they don’t see it, that’s all!” 


90 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TBEASVRE CHEST 

Then he bent once more over the tripod, 
and again let it smoke. 

For a few moments he muttered, then 
turning to Vera, he took her hand. 

“1 see here in your hand that you are 
risky, and heedless. Have a care!’’ 

Then he reached for Nancy’s hand. 

^^You love her dearly. You would do 
anything for her,” and Nancy looking 
down whispered, ‘ ^ Yes, anything. ’ ’ He had 
pointed at Dorothy. 

^‘And you, little lady,” he said, taking 
Dorothy’s hand, ‘^you are loving and gentle, 
and you are soon to have a fine gift, a won- 
derful present.” 

She nodded and smiled, and stepped back 
to where she had been standing, next to 
Nancy, Vera, wondering what else he would 
tell next. 



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ABDUL HAPHET 


91 


To their surprise, he pushed the hang- 
ings aside, saying, ‘^That’s all for this 
time. Other people are waiting.’’ 

They had no choice but to leave, but they 
were not greatly pleased. They felt he had 
done little for the money that Vera had 
given him. 

^‘Why, the stingy old thing!” Vera said. 
‘‘I honestly believe he has watched us 
enough to tell the Heenty’ bit that he told us. 

“Maybe he was peeping from his little 
window when the oar fell and hit me, and if 
that’s true, that’s how he could safely call 
me heedless, and now I think of it, it was 
only yesterday that Dprothy slipped on some 
wet seaweed that lay on the rocks, and you 
caught hold of her, Nancy, and kept her 
from falling. I just know he was some- 
where where he saw that, and he could easily 


92 DOROTHY DAINTY^S TREASURE CHEST 

see that you couldn’t bear to have Dorothy 
fall, and Dorothy clung to you. That’s why 
he said she was loving and gentle.” 

‘‘He said I was to have a fine gift,” Dor- 
othy said. 

“Well, I guess he just risked saying that !” 
declared Vera, “and he hustled us out to 
let other people in, and I just hope they 
didn’t go in, after the way he treated us, 
and oh, look!” 

She was looking back toward the little 
house. 

Dorothy and Nancy turned. There stood 
the “Magician” angrily haranguing the 
little crowd that stood opposite his door. 

“You think I was naughty to say I hoped 
they wouldn’t go in, but he cheated us, yes 
he did, he cheated us, and I just can’t stand 
being cheated,” Vera said. 


ABDUL HAPHET 


93 


‘‘He didn’t tell us much, and he didn’t 
show us any ‘Magic,’ ” said Nancy. 

“Come on!” cried Vera, “Let’s tell Uncle 
Harry. Your father went to the city this 
morning, but I’m sure Uncle Harry is here.” 


CHAPTER V 

tTNCLE HAKRY MAKES A CALL 

I T happened that Uncle Harry was the 
only member of his family that was at 
home and when Dorothy, Nancy, and Vera 
raced along the plank walk, and np on 
the piazza where he sat reading the paper, he 
pretended to be greatly startled. 

‘‘Oh, you are the very one we want to 
see!’“ cried Dorothy. 

^‘Yes, and we’ve something to tell you,” 
Nancy said. 

“And we’re so angry!” declared Vera. 
“Have mercy, young ladies, for you are 
frightening a solitary individual.” 


94 


UNCLE HARRY MAKES A CALL 95 

Vera thought the last word highly un- 
oomplimentary. 

‘‘Oh, you’re not a ^dividule’ at all. 
You’re Flossie Barnet’s uncle, and we just 
love you,” Vera said. 

“I’m sure I’m blushing,” said Uncle 
Harry, “but hasten, I beg, and tell me how 
I happened to be honored by this call.” 

“We’ve been cheated!” declared Vera, 
“and we couldn’t do a single thing about 
it.” 

“Well, well!” said Uncle Harry, “Tell 
me, who dared to cheat three charming 
little ladies?” 

“Old Abdul what-you-call-’im,” said 
Vera, “and I think he was mean, for I gave 
him three quarters, and that was one for 
each of us, and what did he tell us? Just 
nothing at all, and he didn’t do any magic, 
either!” 


96 DOROTHY DAINTY^S TREASVBE CHEST 

‘‘I think ni make a call at that queer 
little house. I am sure I shall be amused/^ 
Uncle Harry said. 

‘‘When will you call there?” Dorothy 
asked. 

“If you go right off now, he’ll think we 
complained of him and sent you,” Nancy 
said. 

“Oh, I’m not going just yet,” Uncle 
Harry said, with a jolly laugh. “I’ll not 
tell you when I go, but go I must. I feel 
that I must see Abdul, and test the power 
of his magic.” 

“He looked wise, but all the time I 
thought his eyes were laughing,” said Vera 
later, when the three little friends were sit- 
ting in the hammock that swung on the 
piazza. 

Uncle Harry had said that he must ‘^see 
a man for something,” and jauntily he 


VNCLE HARRY MAKES A CALL 


97 


walked along the beach, swinging his light 
walking-stick, and looking as if hugely 
amused by a most excellent Joke. 

He was a handsome young man, a fine 
singer, a great Joker, and quite as fond of 
the children as they were of him. 

He strolled along, stopping to purchase 
some cigars at one place, to get a bit of 
target practice at another booth near by, 
and then he stopped, and looked up and 
down the beach. 

‘‘There it is, I believe,’’ he said, as he 
noticed the gaudy coloring of a little shed- 
like building. “I guess that shanty must be 
the so-called palace of Abdul Haphet. At 
all events, it will not take long to learn if 
that is the home of magic.” 

He had been walking in the wrong direc- 
tion. 

Not wishing to seem in haste, he strolled 


98 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TREASURE CHEST 

slowly toward the little building, and when 
he reached its door, he stopped, not even 
attempting to knock, for he believed that 
the man was eagerly watching for customers. 

He was right, for hardly a second had 
he waited when the hanging over the door 
was pushed aside, and a turbaned head 
looked out. 

‘‘I wish to peep into the future, oh, great 
Oriental one,’^ said Uncle Harry so seri- 
ously that no one would have dreamed that 
he was almost holding his breath in his 
effort not to laugh. 

‘^Come in,’’ said the man, and Uncle 
Harry followed him into the room where 
Dorothy, Nancy ‘and Vera had waited for 
an exhibition of magic, but the man had 
shown no magic to them. 

‘^Can you tell why I have come, and what 


VNCLE HAEBY MAKES A CALL 99 

it is that I wish to learn Uncle Harry 
asked. How eager he looked. 

think yon want to know if you are to 
get rich, very rich?” ventured Abdul. 

‘^Oh, that surely would be interesting,” 
said the seeker after knowledge. 

Now Uncle Harry had Inherited a fortune 
from his father, and he had won success in 
his profession, so Abdul’s prediction was 
rather amusing. 

think if you can wait patiently about 
twenty-five years, you may, if you are lucky, 
be earning good money by that time.” 

^^Twenty-jive years! Why, Jumping Ju- 
piter ! I should hope I would after all that 
waiting. Have a little mercy!” 

‘‘You shouldn’t be impatient,” murmured 
Abdul, as he set the incense in the tripod 
burning. 


100 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TREASURE CHEST 


‘‘You’ll marry about ten years from now,” 
continued Abdul, “and the woman will be 
an Indian.” 

“Horrors!” shouted Uncle Harry, “Think 
again, man! Couldn’t you shorten up the 
time I have to wait for that money And 
isn’t it possible for me to marry some- 
thing else than an Indian? I sort of hate 
to distress my relatives by doing anything 
like that!” 

“What I see in this smoke is just what 
I’ve told you,” muttered the man. 

“Oh, you see it in that smoke from the 
tripod? Well, if that’s it, I’d say that that 
smoke looks more like a Chinaman’s queue 
than like an Indian squaw’s hair, but of 
course that’s a mere trifle. ” 

The man turned, and his small bright 
eyes looked sharply at hi& customer, but 
Uncle Harry, who was wild to laugh, did 


VNCLE HARRY MAKES A CALL 101 


not so much as smile, while he pretended to 
be intently thinking. 

‘‘I guess that’s ’bout all. Pay me a 
dollar, please,” said the man extending his 
hand. 

‘‘Not much,” said Uncle Harry, thrust- 
ing his hands into his pockets, and leaning 
back on the divan, as if he intended making 
a lengthy call. The man looked anxious. 
He was wondering if this fine-looking young 
man were serious, or if he had come as a 

spy- 

Abdul Haphet, as he called himself, was 
an impostor, and he was always afraid of 
being found out. 

Meanwhile Uncle Harry was trying to 
decide what next to ask, when glancing to- 
ward the doorway, he saw that the hang- 
ing had blown a bit aside, and there, at 
anchor, was his handsome yacht, that he so 


102 DOROTHY DAINTY^S TREA8VRE CHEST 

enjoyed sailing. He was an expert swim- 
mer, so his next question, and the answer 
that he received, were droll indeed. 

say, Abdul, old chap, would it be safe 
for me to take a sail to-day? I mean, if the 
weather continues fine?’’ 

‘^No, no!” cried Abdul. see in the 
smoke that you should never venture out 
on the ocean. You know nothing about a 
boat, and you can’t swim, so you take a 
chance, a good chance of being drowned.” 

‘‘O dear! I’ve been eagerly promising 
myself a fine sail this afternoon,” said Uncle 
Harry, ‘^but of course, if you feel like that 
about it, I’d be wise to stay on land.” 

‘‘Stay on dry land,” muttered Abdul. 

“Oh, dry land!” exclaimed Uncle Harry, 
“Well, that doesn’t mean damp sand, so 
I’ll have to go back to the city.” 

“No, no!” cried Abdul, in quick alarm. 


VNCLE HARRY MAKES A CALL 103 

■^‘Stay here, and come over this afternoon 
for ’nother call on me, an’ pay me 'nother 
dollar!” 

‘‘I haven’t paid you anything yet, but 
I will. I’ll pay the dollar you ask for be- 
cause I’ve found out what I wanted to know, 
and quite a bit beside.” 

Abdul drew back, and put forth his hands 
as if to ward off the words that he feared 
Uncle Harry might say. He appeared 
shrunken, as if by terror, and he continued 
backing away from the man whose fine eyes 
were looking straight into his. 

Stand right where you are!” said Uncle 
Harry. ‘H’ve listened long enough to you. 
Now listen to me. 

‘‘First, let me tell you that these rugs, 
jugs, and hangings, instead of being Ori- 
ental, as you have said in this, your pam- 
phlet that’s spread broadcast up and down 


104 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TREASURE CHEST 

the length of the beach, were made, each 
and every piece, in New York. 

^‘The costume that you wear is not gen- 
uine, for that you hire of a costumer, and 
even that beard — ” 

With a quick spring forward, Uncle 
Harry caught at the long, white whiskers, 
and snatched them off before the man could 
dodge. 

His turban rolled off, when he sprang 
away from Uncle Harry, and lo, the hair 
on his closely shaven head was — red ! 

‘‘You pretend to have been born in India, 
but you were really born in Indiana, so this 
glorious country could boast, if it cared to 
do such a thing, of having produced you, 
you impostor! 

“You foolishly attempt to prophesy, rely- 
ing upon making an impression upon your 
customers with your smoking tripod, your 


VNCLE HARRY MAKES A CALL 105 


wand, and the rest of your duds that are 
strewn about here. 

‘‘As I am wealthy in my own right, and 
successful in my profession, I’m hardly out 
hunting for a position, much less waiting 
twenty-five years for anything, 

“As I am happily married to a beautiful 
woman, there’s not much chance of my 
marrying a squaw, and as to the dangers of 
the sea, you would make me laugh, if I 
were not so disgusted. Why man, I’ve al- 
ways had a yacht, and I swim and dive like 
a fish.” 

“Enough! Enough! Go!” cried the 
cringing figure, as he snatched at the folds of 
drapery. 

Down came the dirty hangings covering 
the frightened man completely with clouds 
of dust. 

“Come out from there!” cried Uncle 


106 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TREASURE CHEST 

Harry, ‘^and come quickly for I’m nearly 
choking with the dust, and dirt that you 
have set flying/’ 

A staring face peeped forth from the 
dusty folds. 

‘‘Go!” it cried, “Go!” 

“Just as soon as I’ve told you one thing 
more, and that is that instead of ‘Abdul Hap- 
het,’ your own name is ‘Abner Hanan.’ ” 
If you are not packed up, and off to-morrow 
at this time. I’ll ask the police to help you !” 

Uncle Harry took off his coat and shook 
it, stamped to remove at least a portion of 
the dust upon his shoes, and then he tossed 
a dollar toward the man who still cowered in 
the pile of drapery that lay where it had 
fallen. 

“You don’t deserve a cent, but it may has- 
ten your departure, so I contribute one dol- 
lar toward that happy event, and I advise 


UNCLE HARRY MAKES A CALL 107 

you to go to work at some honest labor.’’ 

The man made no reply, but as soon as 
Uncle Harry left the place, he crept forth, 
and began at once to pack his belongings. 

He knew that one man knew him to be a 
cheat and a sham, and he feared every foot- 
step that approached his door, for how could 
he know but that some of those whom he had 
cheated were coming, not only to accuse 
him, but worse yet, actually to demand a 
return of money that they had paid him, 
and for which they had received nothing. 

A little old Italian who had a small store 
near by had once been a peddler, and he 
still possessed a small push-cart, much 
weather-beaten, surely, but still boasting 
two wheels and a stout handle. 

To him Abdul went, and because the fruit- 
man had no further use for the push-cart, 
he sold it cheaply. 


108 DOROTHY DAINTY^S TREASURE CHEST 

Into the push-cart Abdul packed all his 
possessions, and when twilight came, he set 
out on his travels, not feeling any choice 
as to where next he should ‘‘set up in busi- 
ness,” so long as it was far enough away 
from the man who had seen through his silly 
shamming, and had so successfully scared 
him. 

Of course Uncle Harry told of his call on 
the man who had called himself “Abdul,” 
and the comments of his audience greatly 
amused him. 

“Now wasn’t that the bravest thing you 
ever heard of?” Flossie asked, as she looked 
around at the group who had listened. 

“Nonsense!” said Uncle Harry, “It 
didn’t require much bravery. I took no 
foolish chance. I told a policeman that I 
believed the man was obtaining money from 


VNCLE HARRY MAKES A CALL 109 


children, and from many ‘grown-ups’ whom 
he was able to impress, and that his whole 
scheme was an imposition that I intended 
to stop. He was standing just outside the 
door, and heard all that Mr. Hanan of In- 
diana told me, and my replies to his silly 
predictions.” 

“But you were in there alone, and fac- 
ing him,” persisted Flossie. 

“I couldn’t be sure that I was facing him 
at all times, because every time that I 
stirred on my seat, he ducked down into the 
dingy pile of drapery, and I had all I could 
do to keep from laughing. 

“Eeally, he looked and acted like a fright- 
ened ape.” 

Flossie insisted that her dear Uncle Harry 
was a hero, and her little friends thought so, 
too, and Vera Vane, who had been so angry 
at being cheated by the sham Oriental, soon 


110 DOROTHY DAINTY^S TREASURE CHEST 


forgot all about him, while enjoying the 
pleasure that Uncle Harry planned for Flos- 
sie and her friends. 

A week after Abdul Haphet so hastily 
packed his belongings, and set out to find 
another location in which to practise his so- 
called Magic,” a fine yachting trip was 
planned, and all the young guests were up 
early to learn if the day was to be fair. 

They were to start on a ‘Voyage of dis- 
covery” Uncle Harry said, but when ques- 
tioned as to what was to be discovered he 
laughed. 

“What a question!” he cried, when the 
children tried to coax him to tell them. 

“Who ever heard of discoverers who knew 
exactly what they were going to find when 
they set out?” 


CHAPTER VI 


ELFIN BARGAIN 

L ight, sunlit clouds made the blue 
sky look bluer, and the yacht floated 
'out from the little. bay, as gracefully as 
might a snowy gull, and over the bright 
brass railing, the happy children looked 
down, down into the green depths, and tried 
to ‘‘make believe’’ that they caught glimpses 
of sea nymphs. 

Dorothy and Nancy, Vera and Flossie, 
vied with each other in telling fairy tales of 
the ocean, and when the sun was higher, they 
sat under the gay-colored awning, and en- 
joyed the fresh breeze, while Uncle Harry 
sang for them, strumming an accompani- 
ment on his guitar. 


Ill 


112 DOROTHY DAINTY'S TREASURE CHEST 

‘^And, now, where do you think you are 
going he asked as he rose, and stood look- 
ing off across the waves. 

‘‘Oh, we knotv/' cried Flossie, “because 
this morning I heard you telling Auntie 
that you knew of a lovely little bay, called 
Scallop Bay, and you told her you knew we’d 
so enjoy going there.” 

“And Flossie has been telling us all she 
heard you say of Scallop Bay,” said Vera 
as if that made Flossie’s speech complete. 

“Well, I declare! Bid you hear me say 
that?” said Uncle Harry. 

“We might go there some day, but I’d 
planned quite a different trip, — and now 
I’m wondering if after all — ” 

“Now, Uncle Harry, don’t you change 
your plans,” cried Flossie, “because we’ll 
all agree to like wherever you take us.” 

“Now, I call that a fine promise, so I’ll 


ELFIN ^8 BARGAIN 


113 


take you to the place I first thought of,’’ said 
Uncle Harry. 

‘‘He’s almost laughing,” whispered Dor- 
othy. 

“He surely is,” agreed Nancy. 

“Uncle Harry! Do you know now just 
where we’re going?” Flossie asked. 

“I know, but I’ll not tell,” Uncle Harry 
replied, “because you are out on a voyage 
of discovery, so I’ll let you discover the 
name of our landing-place!” 

“How can we, by just looking at it?” 
Vera asked. 

“Oh, we’ll more than 'look at it,’ ” Uncle 
Harry replied, “,and in the meantime, I 
give you all permission to try to discover 
something nice, tucked away for you to 
find here on the Dolphin/^ 

Over the deck they scurried, rushing this 
way and that, until they opened a hamper. 


.,114 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TREASURE CHEST 

and there they found boxes of bonbons, one 
for each little friend, and one for each of 
the grown-ups. 

The hamper had been tucked away so 
carefully that it was a wonder that the chil- 
dren found it. 

‘‘What a sweet discovery!’’ said Dor- 
othy. 

“And there’s no end of things to be found 
yet on this jolly voyage,” said Uncle Harry. 

What would Dorothy have thought if she 
could have known what was, at that very 
moment, happening on a sunny spot near the 
cottage ! 

Little Elfin had begged to remain at 
home, because she said she felt “so wiggly on 
the Dolpin/^ 

The wee girl had been a trifie seasick when 


ELFIN^S BARGAIN 


115 


the sea was rough, and although that was 
several weeks before, she had not forgotten 
it. 

‘‘I rather tay at home,’’ she said, so with 
many directions given the maid to watch 
carefully that the little girl get into no mis- 
chief the party set sail, and Elfin danced 
with delight that she had been permitted to 
‘Hay at home,” as she had said. 

“Dis sand don’t wiggle,” she told the 
maid, “and the boat does/^ 

For a time the maid watched her closely, 
and the little girl played upon the sand 
beside her, never once thinking of straying 
away. 

Down on the beach, a boy stood watching 
the maid and the baby. 

He was dark, black-eyed, wiry, and rag- 


116 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TBEASVRE CHEST 

ged, and any one would have known, at a 
glance, that he was planning some sort of 
mischief. 

His shrewd, black eyes were fairly twin- 
kling with excitement, yet he did not move 
from the spot on which he stood, and even 
when he appeared to be looking down at his 
feet, he was peeping through his lashes, that 
he might, unnoticed, continue to watch the 
nurse and her little charge. 

The cottage where Uncle Harry was stay- 
ing was next to the one leased by Mr. Dainty. 
Each cottage boasted a low, picket fence, 
and now little Fluff raced down to the fence, 
and peeping through, whined for Elfin to 
come and talk to him. 

Dorothy had intended taking Fluff on the 
trip, hut Mrs. Dainty persuaded her to leave 
him at home. 

^‘He really doesn’t enjoy sailing,” she had 


ELFIN’S BARGAIN 


117 


said, and Dorothy had left him curled up on 
a silk cushion sound asleep. 

She had paused in the doorway, and 
looked at him. 

^‘He’s such a little pet,” she said softly, 
don’t quite like to leave him, and be 
away all day.” 

She turned, and went out to join the party. 

Once on the yacht, she said to Nancy: 

‘‘I keep thinking and thinking of Fluff. 
I hope he’s all right.” 

‘‘Of course he is,” Nancy said, to com- 
fort her, but something in Dorothy’s eyes, 
and in her voice when she spoke, had set 
Nancy thinking, and Nancy began to wonder 
if little Fluff were all right. 

What would Dorothy and Nancy have 
thought if they could have caught a glimpse 
of a group that now stood in front of the 
cottage? 


118 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TREASURE CHEST 

The boy who had stood at a distance 
watching, was very earnestly talking to little 
Elfin, and now, laying a hand upon her 
shoulder, he seemed coaxing her to do some- 
thing that she appeared unwilling to do. 

^‘Now, Sissy,’’ he was saying, ^‘Ye like 
Dorothy Dainty, don’t ye?” 
love her,” said Elfin. 

‘^Then I’d think ye’d like to do suthin^ 
nice fer her,” was the prompt reply. 

‘‘But to div away her dog, isn’t nice ’tall !” 
cried Elfin. 

“I ain’t askin’ yer ter give away the little 
dog,” the boy said quickly, “I’m askin’ yer 
ter swap him for suthin ’nough sight bigger. 
Don’t ye reelize that?” 

“I know dat,” Elfin said stoutly, “but 
you don’t tell me -what you swaps for.” 

“Oh, ye’re a smart one!” cried the boy, 
“but I will show ye. Come over ter that 


ELFIN^8 BARGAIN 


119 


sunny place where they’s a little bush atop 
of a little hill, an^ I’ll show ye, an’ I guess 
when you see it, you’ll be glad ter swap !” 

‘‘See whatf^’ insisted Elfin. 

“What I’m a-goin’ ter show ye,” the boy 
replied, and the little girl looked trustingly 
up at him, and tucking her hand in his, she 
skipped along beside him. 

Just around the hillock they were but of 
sight, so far as the servants in either cottage 
were concerned, and there, tied to a low 
bush was a goat. 

“Why that’s a doat!’’ said Elfin. 

“Well, I didn’t say it was a el’phant,” the 
boy retorted, “but ye sure see he’s a norful 
sight bigger ’n the little dog.” 

“Yes, he’s bigger/^ agreed Elfin, “but I 
guess Dorothy would like little Fluff best, 
’cause he’s littler. She holds Fluff on her 
lap, but that doat! Why he — ” 


120 DOROTHY DAINTY'S TREASURE CHEST 

^‘Now let me tell ye suthinV^ the boy 
said quickly. ‘‘Sometimes size counts. 
Which do you like best? yer teenty little 
dolls, er yer big dolls ?’^ 

“Oh, I love the biggest one best,” Elfin 
said quickly. 

*^Zackly/^ said the boy, “an’ I know what 
I sez is right. Dorothy would think she 
owned a good deal bigger pet if she had this 
big goat, than if she only has the little dog.” 

“Are you sureV^ questioned Elfin, 
“ ’cause I’m ^most sure, an if you are. I’ll 
go get Fluff and we’ll swap, you’n’ me!” 

“Of course I’m sure,” he replied. 

“Does he know any sing Elfin asked. 

“He knows a heap,” said the boy sharply. 
“Now get the little dog.” 

Elfin trotted away, and soon returned 
with Fluff. 





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ELFIN ^8 BARGAIN 


121 


The boy had been afraid that some one 
would come to drive him away. 

He knew that the two families were away 
on the yacht, but he also knew that a number 
of servants were at home. 

It happened that Fluff had squeezed his 
plump little body through a space between 
the pickets of the low fence, and had fol- 
lowed the sound of the two children’s voices, 
and it was an easy matter for Elfin to coax 
him the rest of the way. 

‘‘Now, will you wait here a few minutes 
for me, while I take the goat over for you, 
and tie him to the fence so he can’t get 
away.” 

“Oh, that’s fine ! ” cried Elfin, clapping her 
hands. “He might run away from me!” 

“That’s just it!” cried the boy, “But I 
can manage him, ’cause I’m a boy, ’sides 


122 DOROTHY BAINTY^S TBEASVRE CHEST 


bein’ bigger ’n you.” ‘‘Hold onter the 
dog!” be said as be went off with tbe goat. 

He soon returned, and picking up Fluff 
be urged Elfin to burry borne. 

“Hoats is awful lonesome critters,” be 
said, “and be might bite tbe string in two, 
an’ run off, if be’s left alone too long, so 
you run along and keep bim company, an’ 
say! Get bim sutbin’ to eat, so be won’t 
make a mistake an’ go ter cbewin’ tbe rope 
be’s tied witb.” 

In a panic lest tbe goat might run away, 
Elfin turned and ran back to tbe cottage. 

Fortune favored her, for when she ran in 
at the open gate, she saw tbe two maids talk- 
ing with tbe grocer ’*s boy, and they did not 
see her. 

They were at tbe far end of tbe garden. 

Tbe goat looked mildly satisfied with bis 
new borne. He bad eaten quite a lunch, 


ELFIN^S BARGAIN 


123 


consisting of an old newspaper, a piece of 
hemp matting, an old apple that some one 
had dropped, and nearly all the leaves 
from the bush to which he was tied. 

Elfin ran into the kitchen, saw a fresh 
loaf of cake, and judging that nothing was 
too good for the new pet, seized it and 
rushed off to give it to the goat. 

The goat made two mouthfuls of the loaf 
of cake, and looked over his shoulder to 
learn if there were another loaf coming. 

‘‘You eats awful fast,’’ Elfin said, in re- 
proof to which the goat blinked, and re- 
marked, “Bla-a!” 

“You makes a horrid noise, and you 
doesn’t smell like you has on any ’fumery. 
Now, Fluff always has ’fumery on the bow 
on his collar. I’ll put some on you, so Dor- 
othy ’ll think you’re sweet as well as big.” 

She ran over to the steps, and had nearly 


124 DOROTHY DAINTY^S TBEASVRE CHEST 


reached them when a yellow butterfly came 
hovering near her, and away she ran, hop- 
ing to capture him, and that was the last 
thought that entered her curly head regard- 
ing the goat. 

She chased the gay butterfly from her own 
steps to the steps of the Dainty cottage, and 
sat down on the lawn to wonder why he was 
not willing to stay. 

A maid espied her, and ran out to talk to 
her. 

She took the wee girl indoors and foimd 
so many cookies for her that before she 
knew it. Elfin felt sleepy. 

‘‘Sure, she’s sleepy,” said another maid 
who had joined them. 

“Let’s let her lie in the hammock and 
have a nap.” 

So Elfin slept. 


ELFIN^S BARGAIN 


125 


In the meantime, the goat had looked the 
place over, and espying a tiny shed, gnawed 
at the rope that held him captive, and when 
free, he started to explore the shed. 

In he rushed, and the door swung to be- 
hind him, the lock snapped, and he was once 
more a prisoner. 

At the far end of the beach the small 
boy was arguing with an old woman, as dark 
and swarthy as himself. 

‘‘I tells you, boy, ye must sell him ter the 
fust pusson thet wants him, an, see thet ye 
git as much as ye kin f er him. D ’ye hear ? ’ ’ 

‘‘I hears, an I axes how much ye’ll give 
me fer myself?” the boy said sharply. 

‘‘Oh, how ye do argify!^^ exclaimed the 
old woman. “Wot I give you depends on 
how much money ye git fer him, so look 


126 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TBEA8VBE CHEST 

out ye drive a sharp bargain. Now, be off 
with the little rascal, fer I’m sure he’d best 
be sold afore bis folks gits back. 

‘‘Try that big, fat woman with the little 
fat girl. She said the child of ber’n wanted 
a pet.” 

“All right!” said the boy, “I’ll tell ye 
one thing, tho — ’f I git a good price fer him. 
I’ll have ter have ’nough fer a bat, an’ a 
ball, a catcher’s mask, an’ a few other things. 
D’ye hear^” 

“I hear ye, Zack?” said the woman. 

A long way Zack tramped, with Fluff 
under his arm. 

The fat lady was on the beach, but when 
Fluff was offered for sale, she showed the 
boy that she was no customer. 

“Of course Mary Ann wants a pet, but 
that don’t mean she’s likely to get it. She’d 
like the moon fer that matter, but I can’t 


ELFIN^S BARGAIN 


127 


buy everything she takes a notion to. Can 
I?’’ 

Zack didn’t know, and he didn’t try to 
think. 

Instead he turned from the fat lady, and 
continued his search for a customer. 

On board the Dolphin all was gayety. 
They had ‘‘discovered” Scallop Bay, had 
wandered about the quaint little place, had 
enjoyed a wonderful dinner at the “Mer- 
maid Inn,” and now, once more on board 
the yacht. Uncle Harry set them searching 
for lovely souvenirs of the trip, and they 
went to work with a will. 

What shouts of delight they gave when 
they found them. 

Satin boxes in the form of large, full 
blown roses, filled with raisins, nuts, and 
small bonbons. 


128 DOROTHY DAlNTY^S TBEA8VRE CHEST 

It was when, after they had left the yacht 
at the little pier, and had reached the cot- 
tage gate, that Dorothy turned to Nancy, 
a startled look in her blue eyes. 

‘‘Where do you suppose Fluff is? He 
always runs to meet me?’^ 

Nancy felt the fear that she saw in Dor- 
othy’s eyes, and could not think how to an- 
swer. 

As they reached the porch, little Elfin ran 
to meet them, her eyes bright with the 
thought that she had planned a fine surprise 
for Dorothy. 

“Does you like the big doat?” she asked, 
eagerly. 

“The goat? What do you mean?” 

“The one I buyed, no — ^swapped — for 
little Fluff?” 

Before Dorothy could question her 
further, a maid rushed up to Uncle Harry. 


ELFIN^S BARGAIN 


129 


^‘Oh, I ax yer parding, sir, but if yez 
could jist do somethin’ ter subdue the goat, 
sir. Sure he do be buttin’ the little shed 
all ter pieces, an’ not wan of us dare let him 
out!” 

‘‘What’s all this, Katie?” asked Uncle 
Harry. 

“Och! Come quick, sir, or the horrid 
goat will walk off, carryin’ the shed wid him, 
that he will.” 

“I don’t care where the goat is, or what 
he’s doing,” cried Dorothy, “for I’m so 
eager to know where little Fluff is.” 

“An’ I tell’d you,” declared Elfin. “I 
swapped him for the doat so you could have 
a bigger pet. Oh, you aren’t p’ovoked wiv 
me, is you?” she pleaded, and then dropping 
upon the grass she sobbed as if her heart 
would break. 

The goat was set free to go where he 


130 DOROTHY DAINTY'S TBEASVRE CHEST 


willed, and he lost no time in disappearing. 

Gently but firmly Uncle Harry questioned 
his wee daughter until all understood that 
some boy, whose name she did not know, 
had gotten possession of little Fluff ! 

Dorothy turned so pale that Mr. Dainty 
clasped her closely to him, fearing that she 
might faint. 

‘H’m all right,” she said, in hardly more 
than a whisper, ^ ‘but oh, I want little Fluff ! ’ ’ 

It was two long weeks before they saw 
him, and Dorothy was almost ill with worry. 

Uncle Harry had been told of a dark, 
ragged .boy that had been seen hanging 
around the two cottages, on the day of the 
yachting trip, and both Uncle Harry and 
Mr. Dainty had been looking for a lad who 
would answer that description. 

At last they came upon Zack, and they 
questioned him so closely that he became 


ELFIN^S BARGAIN 


131 


frightened. He declared that he knew noth- 
ing about the missing dog, but neither Mr. 
Dainty nor Uncle Harry believed that he 
was telling the truth. 

Zack persisted in his statement that he 
did not live at the shore, and that he was 
only there for the day, but his manner 
plainly showed that he was badly fright- 
ened, and that he was not telling the truth. 

The boy edged away from the two men, 
and watching for a moment when they were 
earnestly talking together, he drew a grimy 
handkerchief from his pocket, and waved it. 

‘‘What are you signaling for, or rather, 
to whom are you waving?” 

“Friend o’ mine,” said the boy, and that 
was all he would say. Ten minutes later, 
Dorothy ran to meet them. Fluff, a very 
dirty, but very happy little Fluff in her 


arms. 


132 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TREASVBE CHEST 


Her eyes were shining through her tears. 

‘ ‘ Only think ! J ust think!'’ she cried, ‘ ‘ A 
few minutes ago, I heard him barking and 
scratching at the door, and I raced to let 
him in. His handsome collar and bow are 
gone, but I have him once more. Oh, 
Father! We can buy another collar, but 
there’s only one Fluff in the world!” 

The boy had planned to wave to the old 
woman, if the owner of the dog should 
corner him. As soon as she saw the signal, 
the old woman lost no time in letting the 
little dog out, and he had raced for home. 


CHAPTER VII 


A SAILOR^S VISION 

C APTAIN MARX sat mending a net, 
and beside him was Antony. 
Dorothy, Nancy, and Vera were closely 
watching him, as he passed his great wooden 
shuttle in and out of the hempen meshes. 

‘‘Tell us a ‘sea story,’ will you, please"^'' 
coaxed Dorothy. 

“Tell them all about the night when the 
young sailor saw the sea-fairies on the old 
wreck,” said Antony. 

“Oh, tell that one!” cried Dorothy and 
Nancy, and Vera echoed, “Tell that one, 
please do.” 

“All right,” said the genial captain, as. 


133 


134 DOROTHY DAlNTY^S TREABVRE CHEST 

shading his eyes with his hand, he looked 
out across the waves, and then up the beach 
where in the glare of sunlight was the old 
wreck. 

‘^The young sailor what all this happened 
to said it reelly happened/’ said the cap- 
tain, ‘^an’ we’ll have ter take his word for 
it. It all happened between the time his 
watch said ‘twelve,’ and two o’clock, an’ it 
was some happening. 

“He told me the story of that two hours 
so often that I do believe I could tell it 
backwards. 

“I always insisted that the whole thing 
was a dream, but he wouldn’t have it so. 
Said he was as wide-awake as he ever was 
in his life, and that I needn’t believe the tale 
if I didn’t want to, so I’ll say the same to 
you, little friends. I didn’t see it, and I 
don’t Jfelieve it, but it’s a pretty tale, and 


A SAILORS S VISION 


135 


you can listen, and then do as you like, so 
here’s the story. The young sailor called 
it, ^The Pearl Ship.’ 

‘‘When the good ship, Hindu Princess, set 
out on a voyage to India, the crowd that had 
gathered on the wharf gave her a great send- 
off, waving hats and handkerchiefs, and 
shouting ‘Good luck,’ and a young girl in 
the crowd went so far as to fling an old shoe 
at her, the said shoe floating after her as 
she sailed out of the bay. 

“She reached India safely, and a cargo 
that was hugely valuable was taken on board, 
and securely stowed away. 

“It has been said that she carried the 
most costly collection of gems that had ever 
up to that time, been brought from India to 
America. 

“Wonderful ropes of pearls, perfectly 
matched, rubies worth a king’s ransom, em- 


136 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TREASURE CHEST, 

eralds as costly as diamonds, and diamonds 
as pure and white as the dewdrop, 
with fires of every color blazing in their 
wondrous depths. 

‘‘And it is said that yonder lies what was 
left of the Hindu Princess, after a terrific 
storm had torn away her masts and sails, 
driven her, onto that ledge where now the 
fine new lighthouse stands, and there let 
the waves wash what was left of her up on 
the beach there where she has lain for years. 

“We came here to this place to live before 
Antony was born, and the old wreck was 
there then, and had been there, since timc^ 
out of mind. 

“One warm night in spring, when Antony 
was a baby, a young sailor landed here, in- 
tending to spend a week or ten days here, 
resting a bit before going to sea again. He 
was a fine lad, and I took a fancy to him= 


A SAILOB^S VISION 


137 


He couldn’t afford to stop at the Hotel, and 
those who had rooms to let, had not a single 
room that was not already occupied, so we 
told him to come with us, and we’d do our 
best to make him comfortable. 

^‘The first day he was here he asked about 
the wreck, and I told him what I’ve been 
teUing you, and this beside, that the crew 
and the wonderful cargo were at the bottom 
of the bay. He talked all afternoon about 
it, and he couldn’t seem to stop talking 
about it. 

‘‘That night I woke out of a sound sleep. 
The sailor was at the door of my room, 
shouting, and trying to wake me. ‘Come 
out!’ he cried. ‘The wreck is no longer a 
wreck. She floats on the waves near the 
beach, in all her old beauty, her figurehead 
shining in the moonlight, and mermaids 
with lovely faces, and glistening hair, are 


138 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TREASVBE CHEST 

floating around her! Come! It’s a won- 
derful sight. Why do you wait? Ropes 
of pearls hang in long festoons along her 
sides, and in the water, the beautiful sea- 
fairies, the mermaids, are making sweet 
music on their conch-shells, pink and white. ’ 
^Man alive, you’re crazy, or dreaming,’ 
I said. ^Go back to bed before you wake the 
wife and baby with your raving.’ 

‘I’m not crazy,’ he said quietly, ‘and 
I’m not dreaming. Come out here, now! 
Come! And you’ll see a sight that’ll con- 
vince you that both vessel and crew have 
come to life!’ 

“‘Nonsense, lad!’ I said. ‘Go back to 
bed and sleep, and let me sleep!’ 

“ ‘Captain Marx!’ he cried, ‘There’s a 
little mermaid sitting close by the big gold 
flgurehead, and she has one arm around the 
flgure’s neck, and with the other she’s dan- 


A SAILOR'S VISION 


139 


gling a long rope of pearls over the waves, 
and laughing when it clinks against the side 
of the ship ! Why, Captain, there’s sails on 
that ship all colored like oriental draper- 
ies, and the entire rigging is studded with 
jewels. The waves all around the ship are 
full of rainbow colors, and the little mer- 
maids are swimming around, their bright 
hair flying in the breeze, and their scales 
shining like green metal. They have strings 
of coral, pink and white, and their lovely 
eyes! Oh, but they look as if they had 
lamps behind them!’ 

‘‘Well, I found the boy so wildly excited 
that he couldn’t be stilled by any words that 
I could say. I could hear Mrs. Marx call- 
ing, and a^ing what was the matter, and 
the baby, Antony, had ’woke and was begin- 
ning to cry, so I saw that there was but one 
thing I could do. 


140 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TREA8VBE CHEST 
called to my wife, ‘It’s all right! I’ll 
be there in a minute, ’ and with that I turned 
to the boy. 

“ ‘You’ve succeeded in waking the whole 
family with this wild nonsense 1’ I said none 
too pleasantly. 

“ ‘Now, to quiet you. I’ll take a look at the 
wonders outside.’ 

“I threw my big coat around me, drew 
an old cloth cap down over my ears, and 
pushing the boy before me, I stepped out 
onto the beach, closing the door softly be- 
hind me. I saw just what I expected to see 
— the night as dark as a pocket, and I could 
only tell where the sea was, by the sound of 
the waves lapping on the beach. 

“ ‘Well,’ I said, ‘this is truly a great 
sight ! I might even say, a wonderful sight ! 
In fact it is really the darkest night I ever 
saw, but I don’t think, if I’d not been 


A SAILOB^S VISION 141 

called out, I would have left my com- 
fortable bed, just to see how dark it was/ 

‘‘ ‘Oh, sir, you’ll never believe I saw the 
fairy scene that I did trulp see,’ said the 
boy. 

“ ‘I don't believe you saw it,’ I said, 
‘but I do believe that you are sincere, and 
that you actually think you saw all that you 
described.’ 

“We turned and went in, the young sailor 
hanging his head, abashed that after in- 
sisting that I come out, that there was noth- 
ing at all unusual in sight. 

“He went back to his bunk, and I locked 
the door, and by the light of the candle that 
I’d left on the table, I made my way back 
to my room. I threw coat and cap on a 
chair, and as I was closing the door, I could 
hear the sailor, Ned, heavily breathing. 

“ ‘Almost asleep,’ I said, and I went back 


142 DOROTHY DAlNTY^S TREASURE CHEST 

to bed. My wife and the baby were sound 
asleep, and I soon was dreaming, but sleep- 
ing lightly. 

‘‘Twice I woke, with a curious feeling that 
some one had called me, then dropped 
asleep again. 

“A third time, I woke with an uneasy feel- 
ing that something was happening, and that 
it was my duty to see about it. I slipped 
into my coat, took my cap in my hand, and 
closing my chamber door, went out through 
the dining-room, the candle ^s flickering 
light enabling me to avoid running against 
furniture, as I went straight toward Ned’s 
room. 

“At his door I paused, for if he was 
asleep, I did not care to wake him. For a 
few seconds all was still, and then, — I bent 
closer to the door that stood ajar, and lis- 
tened, for surely he was talking in his sleep. 


A SAILOR^S VISION 


143 


‘Who are you, wonderful water fairy? 
What is your name? “Nadine’’? You 
are called Nadine, lovely one? I will re- 
member, and oh, I wish that I had millions 
and millions of jewels, for if I had, they 
should all be yours to add to those that you 
already have to play with. 

“ ‘But Nadine, lovely Nadine, I’m only 
a young sailor, with no fine gifts to offer. 
What could a sailor offer Queen Nadine, that 
she would care for? What’s that? My- 
self? You ask for my heart? Oh Nadine, 
lovely water queen. I come! I come!’ 

“He had thrown himself down to sleep 
with his clothes on, and quickly he sprang 
out upon the floor, across the room, and out 
the door directly into my arms. 

“ ‘Let me go!’ he cried, ‘Nadine is calling 
me ! Why do you hold me, when joy awaits 
me on the Pearl Ship?’ 


144 DOROTHY BAINTY^S TREASVRE CHEST 

‘‘ ^Come, come! Wake up Ned!’ I cried, 
and I shook him, to rouse him. 

u ‘I’m not asleep!’ he cried, ^ I’m as wide- 
awake as you are, and I’m going out, and 
no one shall stop me.’ 

‘We’ll both go out,’ I said, quietly, and 
opening the door, we went out onto the 
sand. 

“He caught his breath sharply, almost 
like a sob, and turning, leaned up against 
the house. 

“ ‘Well, what did you think you saw this 
time?’ I asked sharply. 

“ ‘I saw winged sea-fairies climbing 
hand-over-hand on the jewelled ropes, and 
sliding down to the deck with sweet, silvery 
laughter. 

“ ‘I saw Queen Nadine, sitting as before, 
close to the golden figurehead, and she waved 


4 SAILOR’S VISION 


145 


her wand as she cried, Sailor boy, sailor 
boy, come to me, come!’' 

^You kept me until it is too late. The 
bright lights are still there, but they are 
less and less bright, and the water-fairies 
are gone. Nadine, and Neonetta, Natalie, 
and Nixie, all have vanished while you held 
me back.’ 

‘‘Again he went back to his bunk, and I 
threw myself on the old bench in the dining- 
room, to be on hand and ready for business 
the next time he shouted. 

“I didn’t go to sleep again, but I prob- 
ably dozed, for it seemed to me that I had 
hardly lain down when I heard him stirring 
in his bunk, and a moment after he shouted : 
‘I come ! I come ! ’ and there was the sound 
as of things falling. 

“I rushed to his room. The window was 


146 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TREASURE CHEST 


wide open, and tlie flower-box had been 
knocked from the window sill, when he had 
rushed wildly out, and off into the night. 
A faint light was beginning to show on the 
horizon, but nowhere could I catch so much 
as a glimpse of the sailor lad, so strangely 
charmed away. 

‘‘I called and shouted to him, but there 
was no reply.” 

The captain paused, pretending to ex- 
amine one of the knots that he had been ty- 
ing in the net, but the children noticed that 
he drew the back of his rough hand across 
his eyes. 

^‘Father liked Ned,” Antony said, “and 
he would have liked to have him stay, in- 
stead of rushing off like that. Wouldn’t 
you, Father?” 

“Indeed, yes,” the captain said. 

“You see, little friends, he was a fine- 


A SIATLOB^S VISION 


147 


looking lad, and a good lad, too, I was sure 
of that, and I liked his company. 

‘^For weeks, I looked, day and night for 
his return.’’ 

‘^Did you ever see him again?” Dorothy 
asked, looking up into his face, her blue 
eyes wide, and eager. 

^‘It was three years before I saw him. 
Antony was almost five, when Ned came 
back to me,” said the captain. 

‘ ‘ I remember that first time that he came, ’ ’ 
said Antony. 

‘‘And well you may, for he was like a 
big brother to you, and like a son to me. 
It was a surprise to see Ned looking bronzed 
and strong, for when we had last seen him 
he was the frailest-looking chap for a sailor 
that I had ever seen. 

“He was with us some days before that 
night, so long ago, was spoken of, and it 


148 DOROTHY DAINTY’8 TREASURE CHEST 

was Ned, himself that spoke of the wonder- 
ful vision, for vision it was, and naught 
else.’’ 

^‘Oh, tell us what he said!” Dorothy said, 
eagerly, ‘^and tell us if he ever saw those 
lovely water-fairies again.” 

‘‘No, he never saw them after that strange 
night, for when he thought he saw the water 
queen beckoning to him, it was only the 
wild fancy of a sick boy. 

“He had sailed through the tropics, and 
he had been tossing and turning in his little 
bunk for weeks while the fever raged. 
Then, weak and thin he had reached our 
port, and finding it impossible to stop at the 
Hotel, he had spent a few days with me. 
His mind was not quite clear, and he was 
still very weak, but that, he did not tell me 
at the time. 


A SAILOE'S VISION 


149 


Guess sick folks don’t usually remember 
dreams like that, after they’re able to be 
out, but Ned did. He told me that he 
clearly remembered how beautiful that old 
wreck looked when its sails were of bril- 
liant-colored silks, it ropes encrusted with 
gems, and Queen Nadine sat with her white 
arms around the neck of the gilded figure- 
head. 

‘‘He had grown well and strong, and he 
loved the sea with the sunlight dancing on 
the waves, but he told me that on cloudy 
nights, he had only to half-close his eyes and 
look out across the water, and he could so 
clearly recall the lovely scene that all its 
radiant beauty seemed to live again. 

^‘He told me that on the nearer waves he 
could almost see Neonetta, Natalie, and 
Nixie at play in the foam. That every 


150 DOROTHY DAlNTY^S TREASURE CHEST 

great wave which broke upon the sand 
seemed to be scattering myraids of jewels 
broadcast.” 

The captain paused, and his big net lay 
loosely across his knees as he looked out 
across the sea. 

‘‘You don’t think he really saw those 
wonderful things, do you. Father?” Antony 
asked, his dark eyes twinkling. 

“I know that he did not see them,” the 
captain said, firmly, “but I have heard that 
visions so clearly seen during illness, often 
make such a strong impression that the one 
who saw them, retains so clear a memory of 
them as to make them seem very real.” 

“Let’s half-shut our eyes,” said Vera, 
“and see what we can see.” 

“Pooh! I didn’t see any thing but that 
Antony’s cap is on askew.” 

How the captain laughed at that. 


A SAILOR^S VISION 


151 


‘‘Oh — 00 ! It looks lovely ’way off there 
over the water when I squint,” said Nancy. 

“It looks pretty good with my eyes wide 
open,” said Dorothy, and the captain 
laughed harder than before. 

He loved the children. 


CHAPTER VIII 


THE MYSTERIOUS NOTE 

HE little friends had been greatly im- 



A pressed with the captain’s story, and 
Nancy, out on the beach, the next morning 
looked out over the waves and thought of 
Queen Nadine, and the sailor lad, Ned. 
She sang: 

‘^Nadine, Neonetta, Natalie, Nixie, 

“Nadine, Neonetta, Natalie, Nixie!” 

Then she dropped upon the sand, and 
drawing up her knees, she clasped her arms 
about them. 

‘‘Those four names begin with N, and 
you just can’t help chanting them, just 
‘sing-songing’ them, I mean,” she said to 


162 


THE MYSTERIOUS NOTE 


153 


herself. ‘‘My name begins with N, too. 
If I could choose I’d not know which I’d 
rather be: ‘Nancy, Nadine, Neonetta, 
Natalie, Nixie, — Oh-oo! Yes I do^ I’d 
choose to be ‘Nancy,’ because Mother was 
Nancy. I never saw her but oh, they say 
that she was lovely, and when she was on the 
stage, they called her ‘Madame Nannette.’ 

A long time she sat thinking of all that 
she had heard of her lovely young mother, 
of her grace, of her beauty, of the pure, good 
life that she had led. 

Then her thoughts went back to the time 
when she had just begun to feel at home at 
the beautiful stone house, and her wicked, 
old Uncle Steve had stolen her. She 
thought of those dreadful weeks when the 
teacher, Bonfanti, had so sternly forced her 
to dance. 

She thought of the nights when iU and 


154 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TREA8VBE CHEST 

tired, she had been dressed in her costume, 
and given a smart push out into the ‘‘wings” 
and made to “go on” and dance. She re- 
membered the night when having dropped 
in a swoon on the stage, she had been taken 
home because a doctor who had been in the 
theatre, and had gone behind the scenes, and 
ordered it. 

After weeks had passed, and Mrs. Dainty- 
had learned where she was, Nancy had been 
found and taken home to the Stone House. 
Uncle Steve was not living now, so she no 
longer feared him, but twice she had seen 
“Bonfanti,” and he had tried to steal her. 
Several times, since then, she had seen some 
one that resembled him, but on each oc- 
casion, the man that she had seen had proved 
to be a very different person, and she now 
felt safe, and happy. 

Mr. Dainty had told Bonfanti that Nancy 


THE MYSTERIOUS NOTE 


155 


was now a valued member of the family, that 
The Stone House was her home, and that 
if he (Bonfanti) ever again attempted to 
kidnap her, or in any way to annoy her, 
the police would see to it that he was severely 
punished. 

Nancy was sitting on the sand, busily en- 
gaged in trying to braid three long strands 
of sea- weed that the receding tide had left, 
and singing an old song that Aunt Char- 
lotte had taught her. 

It was a merry song: 

“Oh, what^s the use of sighing, 

Since time is on the wing ? 

Can we prevent its flying? 

Then cheerily, merrily sing.’^ 

‘‘Run along Nancy. I’ll overtake you,” 
Dorothy had said, and Nancy was beginning 
to wonder why she had not yet appeared. 
What detained her? It was early morning. 


156 DOROTHY DAlNTY^S TREASURE CHEST 

Vera had not come down to breakfast, and 
as she had been very tired the day before, 
Mrs. Dainty had told Dorothy and Nancy 
to dress and go down-stairs quietly and let 
Vera sleep a while longfer. Nancy was 
tempted to run back to the cottage for Dor- 
othy, but she thought of Vera. 

‘‘I might wake her,^^ she said, softly. 
She tossed the seaweed from her, and went 
a bit farther along the beach to examine the 
barnacles clinging to a rock that at high 
tide, was washed by the waves. 

An old boat was beached near the rock, 
and Nancy stood for a time leaning against 
it. 

In her hands she held some bits that she 
had broken from the mass of barnacles, and 
she was softly singing to herself, as she 
tossed them from hand to hand. 

She heard no footsteps approaching, so 


THE MYSTEBIOVS NOTE 


157 


when a roughly dressed man slouched along 
on the sand, a little distance from where she 
stood, she looked up quickly, and then 
terror shone in her eyes. Her breath came 
quickly. 

The huge man with his flushed face and 
dark kinky hair was either Bonfanti him- 
self, or some one who looked fearfully like 
him! 

He had been too far down toward the 
water to notice the little girl who stood in 
such a position as nearly to be hidden by the 
bulk of the boat. 

She dared not start to run toward the 
cottage, because then he would surely see 
her, and he could easily overtake her. 

Holding her breath, Nancy dropped to 
the sand, and crouching behind the boat, 
watched the man from there. 

He continued walking along the beach 


158 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TREASVRE CHEST 


until he came to a little cave, a natural cav- 
ern worn by the waves. 

Into that little cave the incoming tide 
would rush with crashing waves, but the 
tide was now going out and it would be a 
long time before it would be high tide again. 

When the big man reached the cave, he 
turned, and looked up and down the beach to 
see if any one might see what he was about 
to do. Then, not seeing Nancy, he seemed 
satisfied and taking a folded bit of paper 
from one pocket, and a small pasteboard 
box from another, he placed the paper in 
the box, and tied a string around it. 

For a moment he stood looking up and 
down the beach, his eyes shaded by his hand. 

‘^Nobody in sight,” he muttered. 

reckon this is ’bout as good a chance 
as I’ll git!” 

He dropped to his knees, and, after peep- 


TEE MYSTEE10V8 NOTE 


159 


ing cautiously over his shoulder tossed the 
tiny box to a spot just inside the cave. 

“That’s safe,” he said to himself, and 
then walked slowly away, turning often how- 
however, as if he feared that some one 
might happen along who would meddle with 
it. What could it be ? 

Nancy dared not leave her snug hiding- 
place until the man/whom she believed to be 
Bonfanti, was well out of sight. 

He was slouching along down the beach 
at a fair rate of speed, yet to Nancy, in her 
cramped position behind the old boat, it 
seemed as if he would never be far enough 
away for her to come out safely from hiding, 
so she lay still, waiting. Closely she 
watched him as he turned again and again 
to make sure that no one was so much as 
peeping into the cave, and then, to her great 
relief, she saw him leave the beach, and 


160 DOROTHY DAlNTY^S TREA8VBE CHEST 

turn toward the main street of the little 
village. 

She remained in hiding until she felt sure 
that he was not planning to return, and then 
she ran swiftly to the cave. Dropping to 
her knees, she reached for the tiny box. 
Then up and off at top speed she ran to the 
cottage, not once looking back until she 
stood on the porch. 

Then she looked down the beach but the 
man was not in sight. Dorothy and Vera 
were in the hall when she ran in at the 
open door, he eyes wide with terror. 

‘^Did you think we’d never come?” Dor- 
othy said, but Nancy raced past her and up 
the stairway, saying something as she went 
that Dorothy could not understand. 

^‘Aunt Charlotte! Oh, where are you, 
Aunt Charlotte?” they heard her cry. 

They heard Aunt Charlotte answer and 



Dropping to her knees, she reached for the tiny box 

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THE MYSTERIOUS NOTE 161 

then a door closed softly. Dorothy and 
Vera looked into each other’s eyes. 

‘‘Nancy looked frightened, and I knew 
she was frightened, too, for she never rushes 
off like that. Oh, I wonder what it was. 
You don’t suppose — ?” 

“Don’t s’pose whatf’’ Vera asked. 

Dorothy shook her head. She was think- 
ing of Nancy’s old Uncle Steve, and of 
Bonfanti, but Vera would not understand 
why Dorothy should be at all anxious in 
regard to them, or worried for Nancy’s 
sake. 

Vera was too care-free to be anxious for 
the safety of any one, however dear to her. 

She lived in the happy thought that where- 
ever her dear friends were, they doubtless 
were all right, and then she danced along 
her happy way. 

Dorothy was as bright, as happy, as full 


162 DOROTHY DAINTY^S TREA8VBE CHEST 


of life as Vera, but to be absolutely bappy, 
she had to hnow that her dear ones were 
safe and well, and she was every bit as 
anxious for Nancy’s safety, as Nancy was 
for herself. 

Vera chased little Fluff, who, having 
snatched the end of a long blue ribbon, was 
racing from one room to the other with it. 
Out on the beach he ran, Vera closely fol- 
lowing, but Dorothy stood at the foot of the 
stairway, waiting, waiting for Nancy to 
appear. 

Up in Aunt Charlotte’s room Nancy sat 
clinging to Aunt Charlotte, who had drawn 
her down beside her, and with an arm about 
her, held her closely, until she should re- 
gain her breath, and be calm enough to 
speak. 

‘‘I know that something, or some one has 


THE MYSTEBIOVS NOTE 


163 


frightened you/’ she said, gently, “and I 
want you to try always to remember that 
you are absolutely safe now. You were 
right in fearing your old Uncle Steve, but he 
is not living now, so that fear is surely gone 
forever.” 

“Oh, I know that,” Nancy said, “but 
Bonfanti, is alive, and he — ” 

“Bonfanti would never dare to trouble 
you again, after the genuine ^ scare’ that Mr. 
Dainty gave him. He was very glad to 
leave, and he wasted no time in departing, 
because a stalwart policeman gladly helped 
him to hurry. Don’t you remember that, 
dear?” 

“Aimt Charlotte, I’ve seen Bonfanti, this 
morning! I dropped behind that old boat 
that has been lying on the sand ever since 
we’ve been here, and I watched him from 


164 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TREASVRE CHEST 

there. Oh, he’s surely planning something, 
for he took this little box from his pocket, 

and threw it just inside that little cave, and 
then I saw him look up and down the 
beach. 

don’t know whether he was looking 
for me, or for some one for whom the note 
was intended. I think he must have been 
looking for some man, but oh, I’m so afraid 
to learn what that little note in the box 
says, for I do believe it is something about 
me!” 

Her hands were tightly clasped, and her 
eyes were wide with fear. 

‘‘Nancy, dear. I’ll admit that this hap- 
pening doesn’t look pleasant, so I believe 
I am justified in opening the little box. It 
is not mine, and I do not like to open it, 
but if you feel sure that the man was Bon- 
fanti, then I’ll certainly open the little box. 


THE MYSTERIOUS NOTE 


165 


and learn what evil he is planning. Are you 
sure, dear?’’ 

^^Aunt Charlotte, I know it was Bon- 
fanti,” Nancy said. 

Aunt Charlotte opened the little box, and 
her hands trembled as she smoothed the 
crumpled note. 

A moment she read the worst attempt 
at spelling that she had ever seen, and then 
she laughed, laughed at the droll note, but 
far more because of the great load that had 
rolled away. 

“Nancy, dear, do you remember two 
sturdy fishermen who work together, the 
one sandy-haired, and the other dark, and 
kinky-haired, like Bonfanti?” 

“Oh, yes. Aunt Charlotte. Why did you 
ask that?” Nancy asked. 

“Because I think this note was written 
by the dark man, and intended for his mate. 


166 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TREASURE CHEST 


Read it, dear,’’ and this is what Nancy read : 


YooV. 'm ~MiL _ 

C O-oT A o-rdup. TeR icpoV^fl/DS 

OV Ha^dcLuK, an 

0\^ (LOt)T>, yu CAW TA/d 

iT 6 \Aup -rs.K 
VYoT-CHcR- coL- / i\A / f\/ 
oWER 

4 T jy ^ p j y'lW^p .• 

I \VocD- yoP. f"REyV£), 


‘^Oh, Aunt Charlotte, I’m so sorry that 
I frightened you, but so many times it has 
been planned to capture me, and twice it 
really did happen, that, I felt sure that Bon- 
fanti was planning something again. That 
man does truly look like him.” 


‘^He certainly does,” Aunt Charlotte 


THE MYSTEBIOVS NOTE 


167 


agreed, ‘‘and now this little box with its 
note must be returned to the cave, because 
the men are very hard-working men, and 
they are eager to fill all the orders that they 
get, and receive in return the payment for 
their fish.” 

“I’ll take it down to the cave, if you can 
keep Dorothy and Vera here at the house 
while I do it. Sometime, when I see Dor- 
othy alone. I’ll tell her, but Vera will think 
my fear silly, and sometimes her laughter 
hurts.” 

“I understand, dear,” Aunt Charlotte 
said, and stepping out into the upper hall, 
she spoke to Vera. 

“I can show you those quaint old bead 
bags that I described to you, yesterday. 

“Do you remember, Vera, you said you 
would like to see them?” 


168 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TREASURE CHEST 

^‘Indeed I do remember!” Vera cried 
eagerly, ^‘and I’ll come right up now to see 
them.” 

She ran up the stairs, Nancy passing 
her on the way down. 

Where you going now, Nancy?” Doro- 
thy asked, to which Nancy called back, as 
she looked over her shoulder: 

‘‘Oh, just out to do a little errand.” 

It was quite a distance to the cave, so 
that it was some time before she returned 
to the cottage, but Vesra was examining 
several very old bead bags, and she did not 
think to ask where Nancy was. 

As Nancy approached the cave, she looked 
eagerly up and down the beach, but neither 
of the two fishermen was in sight, nor was 
there any small boy who might be curious, 
and tempted to meddle with the little box. 

Quickly she dropped it into the cave, and 


THE MYSTERIOUS NOTE 


169 


then she ran swiftly back to the cottage. 

She did not care to have either of those 
men see her, for how could she explain why 
she had taken the box? They were 
strangers to her, and nothing that she could 
have said would have seemed reasonable to 
them. They were two rough, honest fisher- 
men, intent upon catching and selling their 
fish, and they would have thought any one 
crazy who undertook to steal a little girl, 
who surely could not be sold. 

When she reached the cottage, she stood 
for a time on the porch, shading her eyes 
with her hand, and looking toward the cave. 

Evidently no one had noticed her. She 
hoped that the man for whom the note was 
intended, had not been to the cave while 
she was at the cottage, holding the box in 
her hand, and talking to Aunt Charlotte. 

Ah, there was a big man, off there in the 


170 DOROTHY DAINTY^S TREA8VRE CHEST 

distance, coming directly toward the cave. 

How long it took him to amble up the 
beach. 

Now he was almost to the cave. Would 
he stop? Yes, yes, he not only stopped, but 
dropped to his knees, and reaching in, 
picked up the box, opened it, and read the 
note. Then he put the little box in his 
pocket, and slapping his thigh with his 
brawny hand, he ejaculated, ‘^Good fer 
old Josh. That’s a good order. It wa’n’t 
funny he couldn’t spell that man’s name, 
fer I couldn’t spell it myself, but he’d 
oughter know how to Spell better ’n ter put 
a h where it don’t b’long. 

^Barrer^ is all right, but the fust part 
of that word oughter be spelled ter rime 
with ^heel,’ weel, — double-yer double-e-1- 
"weel-barrer/ That’s c’rect, I sez.” 


CHAPTER IX 


THE PIBATES 

N ancy now felt secure. 

The man whom she had believed to 
be Bonfanti, was only an honest, hard- 
working fisherman, who had not the least 
idea of harming any one. 

The little village at the shore seemed all 
peace and sunlight, its red roofs gleaming 
in the warm morning light, and the blue 
waves, white-capped, rolling in to lapse on 
the sand, yet on that sunny morning, some- 
thing was being planned, that would most 
surely disturb its serene happiness, and set 
tongues wagging at a terrific rate of speed. 
The first hint that any sort of mischief 

171 


172 DOROTHY DAINTY^S TREASVRE CHEST 


was brewing, came from Mack Dorring’s 
wife whose sharp tongue was feared by all 
her neighbors, the wives of other staunch 
fishermen. 

tell ye. Mack,” she shouted to her hus- 
band, as loudly as if he were deaf, ^‘them 
young rascals as was hangin’ ’round all 
day yesterday, was plannin’ somethin’ ter 
torment ye. I know, fer I watched ’em, an’ 
I’d like ter know why they’re mad at ye? 
D’ye have any notion^ Mack?” 

‘‘Why, — ^yes, — that is, sorter,” her hus- 
band replied, slowly. 

“They was out on the wharf one day, a 
while ago, an’ one of ’em got to foolin’ with 
the Marthy Ann, such as firin’ stuff down 
onter her deck wot was jist cleaned, an’ one 
o’ them threw a dead fish down there, ’long 
with a big bag o’ peanut shells, what bust as 
soon as it struck the deck, an’ fiew in every 


THE TIEATES 


173 


direction. I up an’ told ’em, good an’ 
proper, ter quit foolin’ with the boat, er 
I’d settle with ’em in a way they sure 
wouldn’t enjoy.” 

^^You’d better look out fer ’em. Mack,” 
his wife advised, but Mack only laughed. 

‘^Them critters wont do nothin’,” he 
drawled. ‘^They was just boastin’.” 

He strolled up toward the main street, 
but when he had reached the rising land, 
he turned, as was his custom, to look back, 
and wave his cap to his wife who always 
looked for the little token of regard. She 
waved her apron, and then turned toward 
the house, where the morning’s tasks 
awaited her. There was always enough to 
do. Mack made his purchases at the store, 
stood for some time talking with a group 
of men who were telling each other exactly 
how the nation should be run, made a call 


174 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TREASURE CHEST 

at the hardware store, and while there, got 
into an argument with the proprietor. 

It was nearly three hours before he 
reached home, but he could always plan 
his little trips up town so as surely to be 
home on time for the noon meal. 

The hearty meal was nearly finished 
when Marthy Dorring looked up at her hus- 
band’s shrewd face. 

^‘Mack, I know ye do hate ter have me 
say the same thing over, but them boys is 
plannin’ mischief.” 

‘‘What boys?” Mack asked, as well as he 
could around a huge mouthful of potato. 

“Why, Mack! The ones I spoke of be- 
fore ye went up-town.” 

“Oh, them!'' ejaculated Mack, with an 
air of relief. “I didn’t know but they was 
some new recruits. Don’t ye fret none, fer 
I’ll take keer of ’em.” 


THE PIRATES 


175 


‘‘Well, I wouldn’t be too easy, ’f I was 
you,” his wife replied and then the two 
finished the meal in silence. 

“I thought it looked a hit like a storm 
this mornin’,” Mack said when he had left 
the table, “an’ I think it looks even more so 
now, so I guess I’ll go down ter the wharf, 
an’ make the Marthy Ann safe, and snug 
for the night, an’ ter-morrer, when the 
storm has blowed over, me’n’ my mates will 
set out on a fishin’ trip.” 

The woman glanced at the sky. 

“I must say I’m glad you’re here at home 
with me, instead of out on the water with a 
sky over ye the like o’ that!^^ 

She drew the coarse curtain asi.Te, and 
pointed to the banks of dark clouao roiling 
up from the horizon. 

“I ain’t peeved at all ter stay home with 
ye, an’ — , fer the Land’s sake! Has Madge 


176 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TBEASVBE CHEST 


Gray gone clean out’n her mind/’ cried 
Mack. She’s running this way an’ she’s 
wavin’ her hands an’ shoutin’.” 

Mack opened the door, and the girl ran 
in, and dropped upon a chair, her breath 
about spent. 

‘‘Sure ye look calm, but don’t ye know? 
Haven’t neither one of ye heard of them 
rough youngsters makin’ off with the 
Marthy AnnV’ she said, as soon as she 
could speak. 

“What’s that ye say?” gasped Mack. 

“I say yer boat, yer fishin ’-smack, the 
Marthy Ann is out ter sea with only them 
wild young lads aboard.” 

Mack Dorring waited to hear no more. 
Snatching his cap from its hook, he pulled 
it well down on his head, lest the stiff 
breeze snatch it off, and down the beach 
to the wharf he sped. 


THE PIRATES 


177 


Long before be reached the wharf he had 
heard the whole story. The boys that had 
pelted the deck with all sorts of refuse, had 
been angry at the well-deserved rebuke that 
he had given them, and had vowed that they 
would plan revenge. 

They had taken an older fellow with them, 
who had a fair knowledge of sailing a boat, 
a village loafer who agreed to sail the 
Marthy Ann if they would promise to give 
him a good lunch aboard. 

Beside what food was already aboard, the 
young scamps had managed to buy some, 
and to steal more, so that when they left 
the wharf they were well supplied with ra- 
tions. 

Mack Dorring raved as he strode up and 
down the beach, his hands clenched, and a 
frown on his face so black that he looked 
like a demon. 


178 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TREASVBE CHEST 

‘‘Why didn’t some of ye stop them be- 
fore they made off?” he shouted. 

“Why did ye let the young rascals get 
away with my boat, an’ then, when it’s too 
late to catch ’em, come an’ tell me about 
it as gayly as if it was good news? 

“Look at that sky! Is that the sky for 
little clowns ter sail under, when seasoned 
sailors decide to stay on land ? 

“Were ye all dr earnin’, or did ye think it 
a kind act ter let me lose my vessel?” 

“Quit yer ravin’. Mack!” cried a man 
who knew him well. 

“The lads stole the Marthy Ann before 
any of us was out’n our beds, and a feller 
just told me that it’s bein’ told up an’ down 
the beach that they kidnapped that young 
‘sissy’ over at the hotel, name’s ‘St. Clair,’ 
I think, an’ his ma’s ’bout crazy fer fear 
they’ll handle him rough.” 


TEE PIRATES 


179 


The words were hardly uttered when rac- 
ing toward them came a thin woman whose 
staring eyes showed that she was wild with 
terror. 

‘‘How can you call yourselves ‘men,’ and 
yet stand on land and let those wicked lads 
run off with my precious Archie?” she 
shrieked, to which an old sailor said, dryly : 

“Stand on dry land, do we? Well, 
now, ma’m, ye should try ter show reason. 
With the Marthy Ann already out of sight, 
could any of us. I’ll ask ye, wade out ter 
him?” 

She looked at the speaker in disgust for 
a second, and then, quickly as she had 
come, she made her way back to the main 
street, screaming as she went, that she would 
search for men that were worthy of the 
name who would rescue her darling Archie. 

And while Mack Dorring, trod the beach. 


180 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TREASVRE CHEST 

vainly trying to think of some way to pay 
the young scamps for their mischief, he 
found no one who could, or would offer 
comfort. 

Some few vessels that had left the wharf 
on the day before, had made into a little 
harbor when the sky had threatened storm. 

The owners of vessels that were still at 
the wharf had no idea of setting sail when 
the sky looked so threatening, and they said 
so frankly. 

‘‘Even if we were willing to go. Mack, how 
could we agree ter bring yer vessel back, 
when we are not very sure that we could 
get back with our own vessels 

“What’ll become of those wild young- 
sters?” some one asked, but Mack was so 
angry, that he could not feel much pity for 
those who had caused all the mischief. 

“Some one said that they’ve been talkin’ 


THE PIRATES 


181 


for weeks of being pirates, but nobody took 
any notice, thinkin’ it was jist boys’ talk. 
Now, I guess they’re headin’ fer the high 
seas,” said Dan Bently, with as broad a 
grin as if he were telling a bit of good news. 

And while on shore the brawny fisher- 
men were talking of the runaway voyagers, 
what was happening on board the smack, 
Marthy Ann'i 

On the night before, a note had been, 
given to a maid at the hotel, the bearer in- 
sisting that she be sure to deliver it into 
the boy’s own hands. 

Archie had read and re-read the note, and 
decided to do as he was bidden. 

“Be down at the wharf at daybreak, if 
you want to run away and seek adventure. 

“If you haven’t spunk enough to run 
away, then stay at home, and be mama’s 
baby like you are now, and a big sissy, too. 


182 DOROTHY DAlNTY^S TREASVRE CHEST 


‘‘We’re reg’lar fellows, and we now give 
you the chance to git you freedom. 

“Say, have you any spunk? 

“If you have, joined us, and think your- 
self lucky to be invited to join our ‘Freedom 
for All Club.’ ” 

The note was signed in such a manner 
that no one could have told what name was 
inscribed, and that was just what the writer 
had intended. Archie was a puny chap, 
with a will as weak as his weak frame. 

He never played games, — they were too 
tiring. 

He said that football was too rough, base- 
ball he did not care for, rowing was stupid, 
and it always made arms and back lame, 
and — ^well, one could not mention anything 
in which Archie took interest. 

His mother encouraged his idle ways, and 
often said, in his presence, that her dear 


THE PIRATES 


183 


Archie was quite above those very common 
games that amused other boys. 

She said that he was frail, but that he 
had a wonderful mind. 

No other person had ever noticed that! 

The boys had shunned him, and so he 
was immensely flattered by the note that in- 
vited him to join them on a trip that offered 
adventure. 

He wished that they had set the time less 
early, and yet, when he thought of it, he 
knew he could elude his mother’s watchful 
eyes, at dawn, when she was sleepy, better 
than at any other time. He was wakeful 
all night, trying to decide whether to meet 
the boys or not, but when the first rays of 
gray dawn appeared he rose and, hastily 
dressing, sneaked from the room and crept 
softly down the stairs. 


184 DOROTHY DAINTY'S TREASURE CHEST 

The boys were watching for him, and the 
moment he set foot on the wharf, his legs 
and arms were bound, and he was warned 
not to make any outcry, untold torture be- 
ing threatened if he uttered a sound. 

Poor Archie was a coward at all times, 
and never had he been so fearfully fright- 
ened as now. 

They took him aboard, laying him on the 
deck as if he were an ordinary parcel. 

When they were well out to sea they un- 
bound him, told him that they were pirates, 
and that the MartJiy Ann was to be a pirate 
ship, and to prove the statement, they ran 
up a pirate flag ! 

The white cotton flag, with the rudely 
drawn skull and crossbones,’’ nearly threw 
Archie into a fit. 

“I don’t want to be a pirate,” he wailed. 


THE PIRATES 


185 


‘‘Want ns fellers ter pitch yer over- 
board?” questioned a rough-looking chap. 

“No! No!” screamed Archie. 

“Then ye’ll have ter be a pirate like we 
are,” said the boy, and Archie agreed, be- 
cause he dared not oppose them. 

Poor coward! Every time that either 
one of the boys stirred a foot or hand, 
Archie jumped, as if he had stepped on a 
pin. He trembled, and his teeth chattered. 

The boys made Archie do all sorts of 
stunts. 

They had just blindfolded him, when 
from the sullen sky came a fearful clap of 
thunder. 

It was now their turn to be scared, and 
quite forgetting Archie, they rushed to the 
feUow who acted as ^kipper. 

“Will it be a big storm?” asked one. 


186 DOROTHY DAINTY’8 TREASVBE CHEST 

‘‘Well, you’ve always ’lowed you’d enjoy 
a storm at sea. Here’s yer chance, an’ ’nor- 
ful good chance it is too.” 

Chain lightning rent the heavy clouds, 
and the thunder was almost continuous. 

“Kin ye git us home?” another asked 
anxiously. 

“How do I know?” was the blunt answer. 
“Ye ’lowed ye was goin’ ter sea, and now 
that the wind is blowin’ ye out ter sea, ’thout 
much help from me, ye want ter know if 
I kin git ye home. Seems like Archie that 
ye make fun of so freely.” 

“Aw, quit!” snarled a short, sturdy fel- 
low. “Do yer best ter git us back ter the 
wharf.” 

“Don’t be too partic’lar where ye land,” 
shouted the doughty skipper, “fer while 
I do’ ’no’s I kin control her at all, I do 
know that if she hits the shore at all, it 


TEE PIRATES 


187 


may be at the wharf, an’ it may be she’ll 
run up onto the beach, and — she may cap- 
size!'’ 

The boys turned white, and a loud wail 
from Archie told them that he had heard the 
skipper’s words. 


CHAPTER X 


A NEW AKRIVAL 

A fter tossing about on the waves like 

an egg-shell, until the would-be pi- 
rates were sick with terror, the wind shifted, 
and the Marthy Ann turned in her course, 
and began to speed toward home. 

The storm was over now, and from little 
rifts in the clouds the sunlight sifted, touch- 
ing the rigging, and dancing on the wet deck 
with dazzling glare- 

The boys had had enough, more than 
enough of sea life. In the two hours of 
storm that tossed them at will, they had 
decided that home was the best place, after 

all. 


188 


A NEW ARRIVAL 


189 


As for Archie, he had vowed a dozen 
times that if he ever again stood on dry 
land, he would stay there. 

‘‘Who wants to sail on the nasty sea, any- 
way?” he muttered. “I sure didn’t get 
aboard of this old boat because I wanted 
to; they made me, actually lugged me!” 

The skipper was nervous. Thus far, 
what knowledge he had, had served him very 
well in steering for the open sea, but now, 
with a wind that veered from one point to 
the other, he lost all control of the Marthy 
Ann, and forgot all he had ever known. 
She danced toward the shore for a time, and 
then bounded over the waves toward the 
high sea. 

The bold pirates, were now, with the 
choppy sea, not only homesick, but seasick, 
while Archie was the sickest of the crowd, 
and the stillest, as well. 


190 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TREASVBE CHEST 

He sat on a coil of rope, refusing to 
speak to any one. 

At last they were seen from the shore, 
and their predicament was understood. 

In a short time a motor-boat went out 
from shore, and soon it came racing in 
dragging the Marthy Ann, as if she had been 
a naughty child. 

As soon as the motor-boat left the wharf. 
Mack raced off, and returned with a burly 
policeman. 

Scare ’em!’’ he cried. ‘‘Scare ’em so 
they’ll let other folks’ prop’ty alone!” 

When they were at last safe on shore, the 
big policeman looked sternly at their white 
faces. 

“Had enough?” he asked. 

“Yes, sir,” was the prompt reply. 

“Well, I guess ye had quite a dose this 


A NEW ARRIVAL 


191 


time, so I’ll let ye off, but the next time ye 
make off with wbat don’t belong ter ye, 
whether it’s a boat, or some other thing. 
I’ll be waiting for ye with handcuffs an’ 
off ter the j ail ye ’ll go. All except this chap. 
He was lugged off, I guess, an’ by his looks, 
he didn’t enjoy the lugging.” 

The big boys, with slinking tread, left 
the wharf, and Archie, after learning in 
what direction they were going took a 
roundabout route to the hotel. 

The excitement was over. People found 
other things to talk of. 

Dorothy and Nancy were glad that they 
had been snug at home during the storm, 
with Mrs. Dainty and Aunt Charlotte to 
tell them charming stories while the wind 
and the rain were exceedingly busy out of 
doors. Vera thought it would have been 


192 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TREASURE CHEST 
great fun to have been on the Marthy Ann. 

At Merrivale, those boys and girls who 
remained at home during the summer, often 
talked of their playmates who were at the 
shore, and wondered how long would be 
their stay. 

They had as much fun as ever with Ara- 
bella, with the usual result, that Arabella 
was so slow that she never dreamed that 
they were laughing at her, while Patricia 
was vexed that Eeginald nicknamed her, 
‘‘the wasp.^’ She was quick-tempered. 

One morning on her way to the post-office, 
Patricia met J ack Tiverton, and the 
moment that she saw him, she drew a lorg- 
nette from her pocket, and deliberately 
stared at him through the lenses. 

She had found the lorgnette lying on a 
seat in the park, and, as might have been 


A NEW ARRIVAL 


193 


expected of Patricia, sne made no effort to 
find the owner. 

‘‘Why do you peep at me through that 
thing?” Jack asked, with a saucy grin. 

“It’s very stylish to use a log-net/’ de- 
clared Patricia. 

“You can’t catch any logs with that thing, 
can you?” Jack asked, as innocently as if 
he were holding his breath while he waited 
for her answer. 

“I do think you are just too ignorump for 
anything!” snapped Patricia. 

“Now let me tell you that a log-net is 
to stare through at people that you think 
are very common.” 

“Oh, is that so !” J ack said, coolly, “Well, 
I hope I’m not ‘common,’ but I also hope I 
have common sense. Not so many people 
have that!” and he walked away, leaving 
Patricia staring after him. 


194 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TREASURE CHEST 

Patricia could not decide whether to be 
offended or not, and while she stood think- 
ing, Arabella came along. 

^^Have you asked your aunt if you can 
go to the shore, and are you going?” 
drawled Arabella. 

‘‘IVe asked her, and I’m going de- 
clared Patricia. 

‘‘My goodness, Patricia! I didn’t think 
she’d let you,” said Arabella staring 
through her spectacles. 

''Let me! Let me!” shrieked Patricia. 
“She didn’t say she’d let me. She said 
she wouldn’t, but, all the same I am going 
to the shore, same’s Dorothy Dainty, is, 
and nobody could stop me.” 

“My! But it will cost something, and 
who’d you stay with, and where’s your 
money?” 


A NEW ARRIVAL 


195 


‘‘Well, I declare! I never saw any one 
who could ask so many questions, all in a 
string,’’ said Patricia, “but if you must 
know, I wrote to Ma and told her that all 
the nicest girls in Merrivale were at the 
shore, and I kept writing that, and teasing, 
and yesterday she wrote and sent the money 
to my aunt to take me to the shore. 

“She wrote, ‘For the land’s sake, do try 
to stop Patricia’s teasing.’ ” 

“And will you stop?” drawled Arabella, 
staring, this time, over her goggles. 

“I’ll stop now, but I’ll begin .again as 
soon as I think of some other thing that I 
want to do,” Patricia replied. 

Truly, Patricia was an unlovely child! 

“We start to-morrow morning, and by 
three o’clock we’ll be there,” Patricia said, 
“so I’ll say I’ll see you next when we come | 


196 DOROTHY DAINTY^S TREASURE CHEST 

home from the beach, and then, if you want 
me to. I’ll tell you all about the time I was 
there.” 

‘‘I guess you needn’t bother, Patricia. 
’Tisn’t much fun hearing about the lively 
times you had, while I stay here,” said 
Arabella, ‘‘for with nearly every one away 
it surely will be dull enough.” 

“Well, you aren’t exactly gay,” Patricia 
said. 

“I could stand lively folks around me,” 
Arabella drawled, but Patricia did not hear 
that. She was hastening to get away. 

A few days later Mrs. Carrolton with 
Greraldine were walking on the beach, when 
they met Nancy, and they stopped to speak. 

“Tell Mrs. Dainty that I am eager to have 
you and Dorothy come over to the hotel 
and spend the day with Geraldine,” Mrs. 


A NEW ARRIVAL 


197 


Carroltori said, and Nancy promised to 
repeat the message. 

‘‘Say, there’s a special friend of yours 
who has just arrived here, and she looks like 
a rainbow. Just all sorts of colors !” Geral- 
dine said, with a giggle. 

“Do you think you can come?” Mrs. Car- 
rolton asked, and Nancy looking down at 
the sand, said, “I’ll tell Mrs. Dainty what 
you say.” 

“Just telephone what day we may expect 
you,” called Geraldine, as they walked away, 
and Nancy promised. 

“I wonder whom Geraldine meant by a 
‘special friend,’ ” she thought. 

As she neared the cottage, Dorothy ran to 
meet her. 

Little Fluff bounded along close at her 
heels, barkihg with wild delight because 
Nancy had returned. Fluff had always 


198 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TREASVRE CHEST 

been a great pet, but it seemed as if be 
clung closer to Dorothy than ever before. 

Now, as Dorothy and Nancy sat down on 
the long seat by the window, he crowded in 
between them, and as they talked, he peeped 
up into first one face and then the other, as 
if wondering what they were saying. 

Mrs. Dainty, coming in from a walk, 
paused, and smiled as she noticed how very 
serious and thoughtful the two little girls 
appeared. 

Even little Fluff looked as if he were 
studying a big problem. 

Dorothy ran to her. 

‘‘Mother, do we have to visit people who 
invite us, whether we’d like to or not?” 
she asked. 

“That often depends upon what sort of 
person invites us,” Mrs. Dainty said, “but 
I can give a better answer, if you tell me 


A NEW ARRIVAL 


199 


who has given you an invitation that you, 
evidently, are not eager to accept.’’ 

‘‘We surely aren’t eager,” Dorothy said, 
“but you like Mrs. Carrolton, so I, — O dear, 
we may have to spend a day with Geral- 
dine.” 

“And oh, how long that day will be!” said 
Nancy. 

Mrs. Dainty laughed at their solemn faces, 
as she said. 

“Don’t look so sober. I think there’s a 
way out of it. I happen to know that Mrs. 
Carrolton is not intending to remain here 
more than ten days, and during the next ten 
days there is not one entire day that you 
could give to her. 

“You have several invitations for the 
afternoons, and I have just receive^ a letter 
from Vera’s mother asking her to return 
home next week. 


200 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TREASURE CHEST 

^‘You and Nancy must give all your time 
to Vera during tlie remainder of her stay 
with us.” 

‘‘Oh, Mother, of course we will, but it 
is easy to stay with Vera, and so hard to 
stay with Geraldine,” Dorothy said. 

“I know, dear,” Mrs. Dainty replied, 
“and there will always be acquaintances who 
will be delightful, and others that are very 
unpleasant, and hard to please, and the only 
right way to do is fully to enjoy the sweet 
ones, and try to be patient with the others.” 

When the day for Vera’s departure ar- 
rived, the three little friends found it hard 
to say good-bye. 

Twice Vera ran back to kiss Dorothy and 
Nancy, and then she clasped little Fluff in 
her arms, bending over him that her tears 
might not be seen. 


A NEW ARRIVAL 


201 


Don’t forget me, Fluff!” she said, and 
Fluff replied, ‘‘Wow!” and clung to her. 

Quickly she placed him in Dorothy’s 
arms, and turning, ran to the Dolphin with- 
out once pausing to look back. 

She loved Dorothy and Nancy more than 
ever before, so of course it was hard to 
leave them. She had already said, “Good- 
bye,” and she would not let them see her 
tears. 

Vera was flighty, changeable it is true, 
but in one thing she never changed. Those 
whom she loved, she loved very dearly, 
and to them she was a loyal little friend. 

It was a week since Vera had left the 
cottage. 

Mrs. Carrolton had left on the day before, 
and Dorothy and Nancy were walking on 


202 DOROTHY DAINTY^S TREASURE CHEST 

the beach, wondering why it was that they 
missed Vera so dreadfully, yet missed Greral- 
dine not at all. 

They were some distance from the cot- 
tage when a gay-colored object made them 
stop and look. 

There on the beach was a huge J apanese 
parasol, decorated with the brightest colors. 
Out from behind it fluttered some gayly 
colored ribbons, and scarlet sandals with 
pink stockings peeped from its lower edge. 

‘‘Do you suppose that could be Patricia?’’ 
Dorothy said. 

“If it is, that is what Geraldine meant. 
She said the ‘special friend’ looked like a 
rainbow. Don’t you remember?” Nancy 
replied. 

“That is just what Geraldine said, and 
if it is Patricia, Geraldine called her a 
‘special friend’ of ours because she lives in 



“Do YOU SUPPOSE THAT COULD BE PATRICIA?” DOROTHY ASKED. 

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A NEW AEEIYAL 


203 


the same town that we do. That wouldn’t 
prove that she -was a ^special friend,’ but 
that was just like Geraldine to say so,” 
Nancy concluded. 

‘‘I don’t want to go over there and walk 
around that parasol,” said Dorothy, ^‘be- 
cause it may be some one we never saw, and 
we’d look bold.” 

‘‘Let’s stay right here for a while,” 
Nancy said, “for if it truly is Patricia, she’ll 
be peeping out to see if any one is looking 
at her fine, big parasol. She couldn’t keep 
out of sight more than a few minutes at a 
time.” 

So they waited. 

For a time they stood watching, and the 
ribbons rippled in the breeze, and the foot 
with its pink silk stocking, and scarlet san- 
dal remained in the same position. 

A few minutes later, a head topped with 


204 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TREA8VBE CHEST 


a pink satin bathing-cap peeped out from 
behind the umbrella. 

It was Patricia. 

“Oo-hoo!’’ she called. ‘‘Come over and 
sit under my big umbrella.” 

“All right,” replied Dorothy, and to 
Nancy she said, “We can’t refuse, but we 
needn’t stay very long.” 

So they ran to the gay-colored parasol, 
and Dorothy actually gasped, when she saw 
Patricia’s bathing-suit. 

Patricia often said that she liked showy 
things, and surely her suit was “showy!” 

“Knickers” of brightest pink, a little one- 
piece blouse and skirt of red satin, a gayly 
flowered girdle, a bracelet on one arm, and a 
glittering bangle on one ankle made her 
look as if she belonged to a circus troupe. 

“How do you like my suit?” she asked. 
“I have to ask because you don’t seem to 


A NEW ARRIVAL 


205 


want to speak of it, but I’m sure you think 
it showy.” 

‘^Why, of course it is showy. We never 
saw a suit so showy as that,” Dorothy said, 
thankful that she could say what Patricia 
wished her to say, and at the same time, be 
truthful. 

She was the same boasting Patricia, 
hired it for two weeks, of a costumer,” 
continued Patrica, ‘‘and so as to be sure 
that it would look gay, I hired two suits. 
One was red satin, and one was pink, and T 
used parts of each.” 

There was a pause, and then Nancy spoke. 

“Where are you staying?” she asked 
kindly. 

“At the ‘Eosebud Cottage,’ ” Patricia 
said, grandly, but she did not say where it 
was. 

Nancy was about to ask her, when in 


206 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TREASVBE CHEST 

between them strode a tall, thin woman. A 
calico wrapper clung to her scrawny figure, 
a pair of old slippers fiapped at her heels 
her hair was gathered in a small knot at the 
back of her head, but loose ends blew about 
her face, giving her an unkempt appear- 
ance. 

^‘Now, look a-here, Patricia! You prom- 
ised ter help me with the work, if only I’d 
come ter the shore with you. Now, on the 
morning I want ye most, ye’re all rigged up, 
an’ out on parade.” 

‘ ‘ Who ’s parading ? ’ ’ Patricia asked pertly. 

‘^You’ll be in a minute, fer you’ll parade 
home, take off that monkey rig, and do a 
bit of housework for a change. Come!” 

Patricia, without a word of complaint, 
followed her aunt, not daring to do other- 


wise. 


CHAPTER XI 


UNCLE HAKRY^S FAIR 

D orothy and Nancy had missed 
Antony Marx, and it seemed odd to 
see him rarely, and then only for a few 
moments. 

His father. Captain Marx, had been away 
on long fishing trips, and Antony had 
worked faithfully with him. They had 
been out in the storm that had threatened 
to capsize the Marthy Ann, and how they 
laughed, on their return, when they heard 
of the cruise of the bold young ‘‘pirates.’’ 

“Well, Antony, I’m glad to see you,” 
Uncle Harry said one morning, “and tell 
me, are you to be on shore this week?” 

207 


208 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TREASVBE CHEST 

‘‘Oh, yes,’’ Antony replied. “Is there 
anything I can do for you? You know if 
there is. I’ll gladly do it.” 

“I know that, Antony, and what I’d like 
you to do, I’m sure you’ll enjoy. I’m plan- 
ning a little fun for the girls and boys, and 
I’d greatly value your help.” 

“I’ll be with you, to help in any way that 
you wish,” Antony said heartily. 

“I propose to erect a big tent next to our 
cottage, and to have a grand time in the 
tent. The invitations are already out, and 
the boys and girls are very curious. You’ll 
find an invitation waiting for you when you 
reach home.” 

Small wonder that the children were puz- 
zled. 

The invitation was thus inscribed ; 

^^Fair, furnishing fun for flighty fledg- 


VNCLE EAREY^S FAIR 209 

lings. All hoys and girls are "Fledglings/ 
so please accept this invitation and fare 
forth to help fill the Fair with flitting, fan- 
tastic footsteps, and fairly frantic fun. 
Further features furnished at the Fair. 
The only Fair on earth where you can freely 
find all you fancy most without furnish- 
ing a farthing, 

''Faithful friend, 
"UNCLE HARRY” 

P, S. 

Funny how funny fun is, when it is 
featured at a Fair! 

Preparations were under way in the tent, 
and the boys and girls were wild to take 
just a wee peep, but Antony was at the door, 
and firmly refused admission to even the 
tip of a nose, nor would he permit one eye 
to take a peep. 


210 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TBEASVRE CHEST 

How they did guess and wonder I 

On the afternoon of the Fair, the guests 
arrived early, and when Uncle Harry 
opened the door of the tent, they greeted 
him with shouts of delight. 

‘‘We’re all here!” cried one of the boys, 
and Uncle Harry laughed as he said: “I 
believe you, and I’m glad to see you.” 

Then he stepped aside to let them enter. 

The decorators had transformed the tent 
into the appearance of a huge bower. Vines 
clambered from the base of the canvas to the 
top of the big center pole, making it a roof 
of greenery. 

Pahns stood at the entrance of each booth, 
and flowers everywhere made the air 
heavy with sweetest perfume. ^ 

What wonderful things were in those 
booths displayed! 

There were strings of beautiful beads for 


VNCLE HARBY^S FAIR 


211 


the girls, and silver girdles, and wonderful 
bangles, oh, so many lovely things ! 

Soft music blended with the sweet per- 
fume of blossoms, and the boys called the 
girls to see the wonders of the booths that 
displayed gifts for the boys. 

‘‘See those roller skates, the finest we ever 
saw!’’ 

“Oh, yes, and see those ice skates over 
there! Wouldn’t any fellow be proud to 
own a pair?” 

A fioor had been laid in the center of the 
tent, and after the children had marveled 
at the beauty of the gifts that were to be 
distributed Mer, the musicians played for 
dancing, and soon little couples were flit- 
ting over the floor, laughing and chatting as 
they went. They seemed tireless, and Uncle 
Harry and his lovely wife were close beside 
Mr. and Mrs. Dainty, and Aunt Charlotte, 


212 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TREASVBE CHEST 


all good friends and neighbors in a group, 
watching the lively little dancers. 

The girls in pretty muslins, and the boys 
in their linen suits, made gay-colored groups 
when they stood chatting between the dances. 

tell you, he’s the best fellow in this 
place!” declared one of the boys. 

^‘Or any other place,” cried another boy 
who stood near by. 

‘‘Yes, or any other place,” agreed the 
first speaker. 

“And he knows just what boys and girls 
like,” said another, “and oh, look! What 
is he doing now?” 

All eyes turned toward the center of the 
room, where two servants had deposited a 
huge box, made to resemble a great trunk. 
It was so full that its cover did not remain 
closed, yet it seemed very light, if one 
could guess by the way that the two maids 


VNCLE HARRT^S FAIR 


213 


carried it. Its slightly raised cover, re- 
vealed beautiful bits of color, and the chil- 
dren were wild to know what the brigbt- 
bued articles were. 

Uncle Harry stepped forward, and lifted 
bis band for silence, then be said: 

‘‘To-night I try my band at magic. I 
propose to change these boys and girls into 
people of the sea, so IVe fine mermaid’s 
costiunes for the girls, and mermen’s cos- 
tumes for the boys, and let me say that your 
Uncle Harry and Aunt Vera will be King 
Neptune and his Queen.” 

“Three cheers for King Neptune, and his 
Queen,” cried Jack Tiverton, who had come 
down for the party. 

The cheers were given with a will, and 
received with much dignity. Then the king 
spoke : 

“Now form in two lines, please, the boys 


214 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TREASURE CREST 

in one, and the girls in the other, and march 
up to our magic trunk, and obtain a fine 
costume, that each child can draw on over 
the costume that he is wearing.” 

How they laughed and chattered when 
they saw the lovely paper costumes! 

Each child, when he received a costume, 
was permitted to leave the line, and at once 
put on the apparel that transformed him, 
for the time-being, into a dweller beneath 
the sea. 

For the boys there were caps that shone 
as if made of mother-of-pearl, and fiesh- 
colored coats that met paper knee-pants 
which looked as if made of wet, glittering 
fish-scales, and a long fiat fish-tail dragging 
along the floor at the back. 

Each girl had a wreath of paper repre- 
senting seaweed, the waist of each garment 
was flesh-colored, the skirt of green scales 


VNCLE HARBY^S FAIR 


215 


ending in a little fish-tail train the joining of 
the waist and skirt hidden by a paper sash. 

The sashes were pink, blue, green, yellow, 
orange, lavender, all colors, and all shades 
of every color, so that it was a gay com- 
pany, indeed, that turned toward the great 
curtain behind which Uncle Harry and his 
lovely wife had disappeared. 

A few moments passed, when they reap- 
peared, the one as King Neptune, the other 
as Queen Amphitrite. 

The queen’s train was carried by Elfin, an 
elf indeed, in pearl armor, and carrying a 
bow and arrows slung over her shoulder. 

The orchestra, stationed behind a group 
of palms, was softly playing the wonderful 
melody of ^‘The Lorelei,” that beautiful 
water-fairy, who charmed all the sailors so 
irresistibly. 

Hark! Uncle Harry and his wife were 


216 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TREASURE CHEST 

singing the song, the orchestra playing sof- 
ter now, so that the voices of the singers 
might be clearly heard. 

Wild applause followed their singing, and 
to please their little guests they sang more 
songs of the sea, finishing with the ‘‘Mer- 
maid’s’’ song from the old opera of “Ob- 
eron.” 

Next the little guests were seated, and 
wonderful pictures of the sea, views from 
many countries were shown, and the orches- 
tra played continuously, wonderful music 
to enhance the enjoyment of the pictures on 
the screen. 

Then the little mermen, with their mer- 
maids, marched out from the tent, following 
their king and queen, to a second tent, and 
what a treat awaited them ! 

Oysters, lobster, salads, plainly made 


UNCLE HABBY^S FAIB 


217 


that the children might safely enjoy them, 
rolls, odd little crackers, then such wonder- 
ful ices, in lovely forms, fruit, and nuts, 
and bonbons. 

Throughout the evening, Antony was help- 
ing each and every one wholly to enjoy the 
Fair. He was a great aid to Uncle Harry, 
and Antony, himself, was very happy, be- 
cause he was helping others to be happy, the 
surest road to gain happiness, and a light 
heart for one’s self. 

The hours spent at the Fair had sped on 
wings, and when the spread had been so 
enjoyed that evidences that there really had 
been a spread had all but disappeared, there 
was a loud clash of cymbals, to arrest atten- 
tion. 

‘‘We’ll return to the big tent,” announced 
Uncle Harry, “because there’s an amount 


218 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TREASVRE CHEST 

of goods there to be disposed of. I expect 
you to ‘buy’ every article, but not with 
money. 

“This is the place where you can pur- 
chase any article that you would like to 
have, by making me a fine promise. 

“Flossie Barnet may choose her gift, and 
if she makes me a promise to do something 
gentle or kind with it, it shall be hers. 
Come, Flossie, what do you choose?” 

Flossie looked from one fine gift to the 
other, then she spoke, and she said just 
what you might know that dear little Flossie 
would say. Her blue eyes were eager. 

“I’d like the big red book of fairy tales,” 
she said, “and if you let me have it, I prom- 
ise to let every boy and girl I know borrow 
and read it, until all my little friends have 
enjoyed it.” 


VNCLE EARRY^S FAIR 


219 


^‘That’s a good promise, Flossie. You 
have the book now for your own.’^ 

“Your turn, Molly Merton,” called Uncle 
Harry. 

“I’d like one of those lovely bangles,” 
Molly said, and for a moment she was puz- 
zled what promise to give. Then her face 
brightened. 

‘ ‘ I know what to promise I I know ! ’ ’ she 
cried. 

“I’ve such a hasty temper, you all know 
that, but I’ll promise, for a month to guard 
it so carefully that no one shall hear a hasty 
word. If I forget, and speak sharply, — 
I’ll bring the pretty bangle back to you, — 
but — I don’t mean to forget.” 

“You’re all right, Molly!” cried one of 
the boys, and Molly blushed. 

“I agree with your boy friend, Molly,” 


220 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TREASURE CREST 

Uncle Harry said, ‘^That was a fine prom- 
ise, Molly, and after a month like that, 
you’ll find the hasty words taking care of 
themselves. Come and see the bangle on 
your wrist, dear. 

‘‘Nancy, come and choose. What will 
you purchase, and what will you promise?” 

“I’d like to have that green-and-gold book 
of poems,” she said, “and Dorothy doesn’t 
like to read aloud, but she enjoys being read 
to, so I ask for the book because I’d like to 
own it, but even more because Dorothy will 
enjoy it, too, and I’ll read all the poems 
aloud to her.” 

“Dear Nancy! Who’d ask a better rea- 
son than that for giving you the book?” 
Uncle Harry placed the handsome book in 
her eager hands, and Nancy’s dark eyes 
were bright with delight as she thanked 
him. 


VNCLE EABBY^S FAIB 221 

Dorothy, come and tell what you have 
seen that you would like to have,’’ Uncle 
Harry said. 

‘H’ve been thinking, ever since I came, 
of the first thing that I noticed in this big 
tent. It was a pretty china chocolate set, 
with pink moss rosebuds on every piece. 
Mother has lovely china, but that would be 
my own little set,” Dorothy said, eagerly. 

‘‘And your promise?” Aunt Vera said. 

“I promise to set one afternoon each week, 
when I’ll make my friends and playmates 
welcome, and they shall enjoy my gift, with 
me,” Dorothy said, “and beside my own 
friends, any boy or girl in Merrivale who 
loves pictures, shall come to have tea, — No, 
chocolate, — and then enjoy the pictures in 
Father’s gallery.” 

“Meaning the boys and girls that you 
already know?” Uncle Hariy asked. 


222 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TREASVBE CHEST 


have just asked Mother, and she says 
that I may welcome any boys or girls of this 
town.’’ 

A sweet and generous wish, dear,” Uncle 
Harry said, ^‘The pretty china is yours, and 
I’ll be one of your first guests.” 

He knew that by including ‘‘any girl or 
boy in Merrivale,” Dorothy might often 
have to entertain little guests that would 
not be very interesting to her, so that she 
was indeed generous, because she was not 
for a moment thinking of herself, but in- 
stead, thinking of the pleasure that she 
could give. 

“Sweet Dorothy Dainty!” said Aunt 
Vera, “Surely, Harry, the gift that she has 
chosen, should be hers.” 

How the boys and girls cheered for Dor- 
othy ! 


VNCLE HARBY^S FAIR 


223 


Dorothy blushed, and her eyes were wet 
with happy tears. 

‘‘Eeginald, dear!” called Uncle Harry, 
“Tell us your choice.” 

“I guess it’s a funny choice,” said Reg- 
inald, “and a funny promise, too.” 

He was the youngest of the boys, and his 
usually jolly face was sober enough for a 
judge. 

“I’d like to have that silver bugle, because 
it’s the noisiest gift I’ve seen!” he said. 

“And the promise?” Uncle Harry said. 

“Well, that’s what IfiurtsV^ declared Reg- 
inald, “for what I wanted it for, especially, 
was to scare the life out of Carlo with, but 
I won’t be outdone by the girls, so I’ll 
promise not once to blow it in Carlo’s ear!” 

“Now, any one who has ever had acquaint- 
ance with a small boy knows what that 


224 DOROTHY DAINTY^S TREA8VRE CHEST 


promise costs f Reginald, the bugle is yours, 
and may you be able to keep your promise 
faithfully!’’ 

‘‘Oh, he will Uncle Harry!” cried Flossie, 
“I know he will, because Reginald never 
once broke a promise he’d made me.” 

“Fine little champion!” said Uncle 
Harry, with a laugh. 

“Jack Tiverton, what is your heart’s de- 
sire?” 

“I’d like to own a pair of those wonder- 
ful skates, ice skates, I mean, and I’d like 
to skate as well as Antony Marx can,” Jack 
said promptly, “and I’ll purchase, as the 
others have, with a promise. My promise is 
the only one that I can think of just now. I 
promise to defend any boy or girl who 
needs a defender, and to defend any animal 
from abuse. I’ll even help Reginald to 
keep his bugle away from Carlo’s ears,” he 


VNCLE HABBY^S FAIB 225 

concluded, joining in the laugh that his last 
remark awoke. 

Antony chose a compass, and quietly 
looking up at Uncle Harry he paused for a 
second, then softly spoke: 

‘‘My father has always been my pattern, 
my guide, my idea of a truly good man. 
Once when I was a little chap he showed me 
his compass and explained its use to me. 

“ ‘Antony,’ he said, ‘The needle may seem 
flighty, but it’s true as steel and no matter 
how wildly it spins about, it always returns 
to point to the North.’ 

“I promise that no matter if at times 
I’m tempted to waver, I mean to be true, 
and keep my course headed toward right 

The last few words were spoken so earn- 
estly that his eyes flashed and his cheeks 
reddened, and he stood as straight as a 
pine-tree. 


226 DOROTHY DAINTY^S TREASURE CHEST 


‘‘The best promise a boy or girl ever 
made,” said Uncle Harry. “Keep your 
promise, every one of you, and I shall feel 
that my Fair was a glorious success.” 


CHAPTER XII 


THE CHEST^S CONTENTS 

7E haven’t seen Patricia Levine 
V T since that day that we saw her on , 
the beach with the big parasol,” Dorothy 
said, as with Nancy she was walking toward 
a cliff on which they often sat and watched 
the spray. Nancy stopped, and looked 
closely at Dorothy, as if to read her 
thoughts. 

‘‘Didn’t she say that she was to be here 
all summer?” she asked. 

“I don’t remember just what she said,” 
Dorothy replied, “but I know I surely 
thought she meant to stay.” 

‘ ‘ Hello, girls ! Say, I ’m going over to the 


227 


228 DOROTHY DAINTY^S TREASURE CHEST 


lighthouse. Will you let me take you 
along?” 

They knew Antony’s voice, and scram- 
bling down from the cliff on which they had 
just seated themselves, they sped along to 
the pier which was near, calling to Antony 
as they ran : 

“Oh, Antony! Surely we’ll come!” 
Once safely seated in The Shell, Antony 
plied the oars, and the boat flew over the 
waves as if it had wings. 

“I saw you two walking on the beach, but 
you didn’t see me, and when you had reached 
the cliff I rowed along below it, and shouted 
my invitation. I wasn’t sure you would 
hear.” 

“We heard, and we’re glad to be out on 
the water,” Dorothy said, “but where are 
your parcels for the lighthouse keeper?” 

“This isn’t ‘parcel time,’ ” Antony said, 


TEE CHEST CONTENTS 


229 


"‘This is ‘order time.’ I wouldn’t have 
asked girls to huddle in a boat half full of 
bundles.” 

“Oh, we would have squeezed in some- 
where,” Nancy said with a laugh. 

“The Levine girl didn’t stay long, did 
she?” was Antony’s next remark. 

“Has she gone?^^ Dorothy asked, in 
such evident relief that Antony laughed. 

“As sure as I am sitting here. Miss 
Patricia Levine, her "ant/ as she called her, 
and her two dogs Lionel, and Algernon, 
have left for parts imknown,” Antony said. 

“For ‘parts unknown!’ ” gasped Nancy. 
“Why, Antony Marx, how very awful!” 

“Well, no, not actually awful/’ Antony 
said, laughing. 

“I only said that in fun, because Patricia 
was so, — ^well — comical, on the day that she 
left here. Something had vexed her, and 


230 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TREASDBE CHEST 

she couldn’t wait a second for any one, or 
anything. 

^‘Her aunt looked as if she felt hot and 
tired, but Patricia kept urging her to hurry. 

‘I’m hurrying just all I can with this 
heavy bag in one hand, while my other is 
busy holding onto my hat !’ the aunt replied. 

“ ‘Oh, hurry up! What’s that?’ 

“ ‘Well, I’ve a bag in one hand, a hat to 
hold onto with the other, and two dogs be- 
side. I guess you’d feel busy if you was 
me!’ shrieked Patricia, and just at that 
moment, Algernon decided to go one way, 
while Lionel sat down between Patricia’s 
feet, tripping her, and making her angrier 
than before.” 

“I wonder where she really did go?” 
Nancy said. 

“She said she was going back to Merri- 


THE CHE ST ^8 CONTENTS 


231 


vale, but her aunt spoke up rather loudly. 
She said: 

“ ‘You’ll go to New York, and live at 
home with your ma for a while, if I have 
my way!’ 

“ ‘Well, then, you won’t have your way, 
because I’m going to stay in Merrivalel’ 
Patricia said.” 

We have said that Patricia was an un- 
lovely child. Her disposition was willful. 
Her mother, a vain, weak-willed woman had 
never controlled her, and her aunt had even 
less ability to manage her. Patricia, surely 
was growing up like a noxious weed. She 
was pretty, and graceful, but wholly un- 
trained. 

Who could love a child who was vain, 
boastful, and extremely rude? 

They reached the neck of land that led to 


232 DOROTHY DAINTY^S TBEA8VRE CHEST 

the point on which the lighthouse stood, and 
Antony called to the keeper who happened 
to be standing close to the water’s edge. 

‘‘Any order for me?” he shouted. 

“Aye, quite a list of things I need,” was 
the reply, “and say, lad I Are ye good at 
ketchin’ things? Ef ye be. I’ll fire this box 
to ye. The list is inside. I see ye cornin’ 
an’ I thought I’d pitch it to ye. One, two, 
threeV^ 

Out fiew the round paper box. Antony 
laughed and caught it. 

“In a hurry for the things?” Antony 
asked, “for if you are I’ll bring them over 
this afternoon.” 

“I sure would like to have them that 
soon.” 

“Then I’ll try to get them over here,” 
Antony said, and turning about, he rowed 
toward home. 


THE CHEST^S CONTENTS 


233 


For a time the three were silent, and then 
softly Dorothy began singing ‘‘Santa 
Lucia,” Antony keeping time with his flash- 
ing oars. 

When they had finished singing the old 
song, Antony looked at them for a moment, 
then he said: 

“You two are ever so still about the 
‘Treasure Chest.’ You told me all about it, 
Dorothy, when you first came here, and you 
said that later you’d tell me what was in it, 
but not a word have I heard of your list 
of treasures. I’m curious to know what 
they are.” 

“Dorothy hasn’t yet told me,” Nancy 
said, “but she will when we’re back at the 
Stone House.” 

“I’ll tell you what some of the treasures 
are,” Dorothy said, “but I can’t tell you all, 
because they’re not all in it yet.” 


234 DOROTHY DAINTY^S TREASURE CHEST 

She laughed gayly as she thought of the 
treasures yet to be added. 

my ^Treasure Chest’ now, there’s a 
lovely little gauze fan, the first I ever owned, 
and I carried it at my first party. Mother 
chose it for me, and I prize it. There’s a 
valentine that Nancy bought for me. On 
the day that she chose my valentine, she was 
stolen from us, and it was a long time before 
she was found and brought back to us. 
Through all those horrid weeks when she 
did not know if she’d ever be with us again, 
she climg fast to the pretty valentine, and 
when she came back to the Stone House, 
she gave it to me. 

‘‘There’s a beautiful bangle in the Chest. 
It came from India, and is set with tiny 
precious stones. That was Father’s gift. 

“There’s something lovely among the 


THE CHEST ^8 CONTENTS 


235 


‘Treasures/ something that is to be Nancy’s, 
and I can’t tell what that is, because it’s to 
be a surprise.” 

Dorothy was laughing now. 

“Little tease!” said Antony, “Can’t we 
coax you to tell?” 

“No, but there’s just two things more I’ll 
tell you. One is that there’s to be one thing 
more in the ‘Treasure Chest’ that I’ve not 
yet seen, and the other thing I’ll tell you is 
that I’ll let you see what’s in it, when you 
come up to Merrivale.” 

They had reached the pier now, and An- 
tony helped them to land safely. 

“I’ll hold you to your promise to show 
me the ‘Treasures’!” he said as he rowed 
away. 

“And I’ll truly keep it!” cried Dorothy, 
snatching off her hat, and waving it to him. 


236 DOROTHY DAlNTY^S TREASVRE CHEST 

Antony watched the soft Panama hat 
with its long ribbons fluttering, as Dorothy 
stood on the pier, waving it. 

‘‘The dearest girls in the world are Dor- 
othy and Nancy,’’ Antony said, softly, as 
he tramped along the beach a half-hour later. 

“Antony is one of the best boys we know,” 
Nancy was saying at that moment to Dor- 
othy, as the two sat swinging in the ham- 
mock, and talking of their trip to the light- 
house. 

The next morning Mr. Dainty and Uncle 
Harry went off bright and early on the 
yacht, declaring that they were going on 
a cruise in search of knowledge. 

“O dear!” sighed Dorothy, “You’re both 
wonderful just as you are now ! I do so hope 
you’ll not grow so wise that you’ll be — 
well, solemn/^ 

“Worry not, sweet maid!” Uncle Harry 


THE CREST’S CONTENTS 


237 


quoted, his eyes twinkling. ‘‘Speaking for 
myself, I cpuldn’t acquire enough knowl- 
edge in a lifetime, to make me solemn.” 

“We have only a day for the task, Dor- 
othy,” Mr. Dainty said, “so I don’t think 
there will be any striking difference between 
our appearance now, and when we arrive 
to-night.” 

Mr. Dainty was returning to the Stone 
House to learn if costly repairs and im- 
provements for which he had agreed to pay 
a high price, were actually being done. 
Uncle Harry was taking him half-way on 
the yacht for the pleasure of the trip, and 
continuing with him to Merrivale to look 
over his home, and see if a rumor that he 
had heard, were true. 

Upon their arrival Mr. Dainty found that 
the gang of workmen that he had hoped 
were diligently working, were doing any- 


238 DOROTHY DAINTY^B TBEA8VRE CHEST 

thing but work, while the man supposed to 
have charge of them, had gone off for a holi- 
day. 

It was amazing to see them set to work, 
the minute that Mr. Dainty appeared. 

Uncle Harry had received a letter from a 
friend who wrote that there had been a 
number of small burglaries about town, and 
that a story was being circulated that the 
Barnet house had been entered, and valu- 
ables stolen. 

He found that only an attempt to enter 
had been made, the thieves probably having 
been frightened by a person approaching, 
who they feared might be a policeman. 

The sail, on the return trip, was a delight- 
ful one. The bay was as smooth and calm 
as a mill pond when they sailed up to the 
pier. 

At dinner, Mr. Dainty told how slowly the 


THE CHEST CONTENTS 239 

work at the Stone House was progressing. 

‘‘Why, Kudolph! If the workmen are 
acting like that, it surely is because there’s 
no one in the house but a few servants. We 
were to leave here next week. Why not 
return to Merrivale this week. Then you 
can see how repairs are being made.” 

“Oh, let’s go back to the Stone House so 
I’ll not have to wait any longer to see my 
‘Treasure Chest’!” Dorothy said. 

“We’ve had a lovely time here,” Nancy 
said, “but the Stone House is home 1” 

Oddly enough. Uncle Harry, coming out 
on his piazza was just singing, “There’s no 
place like home.” 

“We have fine times everywhere,” Dor- 
othy said, “none dearer than when we are 
at the Stone House.” 

“It’s home, and oh, such a wonderful 
home,” Nancy said, softly. 


240 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TREASURE CHEST 

Aunt Charlotte, looking at her serious 
eyes, knew that a faint vision of the old 
home from which these loving friends had 
taken her, was making her think very grate- 
fully of the home that she now enjoyed. 

Just here, little Fluff realized the fact 
that no one, for the moment, was noticing 
him. He felt that that would never do, so 
he rushed out into the middle of the floor 
and looking around to be sure that he had 
their attention, he took a few little steps on 
his hind legs, moving toward Nancy, be- 
cause it was Nancy who flrst praised him for 
doing it. 

Every one laughed, and Mr. Dainty ap- 
plauded, whereupon, wee Fluff repeated the 
performance. 

A few days later found them all at the 
Stone House, and Dorothy and Nancy, as 


THE CHEST ^8 CONTENTS 


241 


soon as dinner was over, rushed to peep into 
the Treasure Chest. 

“This is a surprise for you, and I’ve 
known about it all the time weVe been at 
the shore. My ! But it was hard not to tell 
you!” Dorothy said, as she offered a quaint 
oriental box to Nancy. 

“Oh, the loveliest amber beads!” cried 
Nancy. “Why didn’t I see them before we 
went?” 

“Because they weren’t in the Chest be- 
fore we left, but I heard Father tell Aunt 
Charlotte that he was going to get them for 
you, and he did, and on one of his trips to 
the house he put them here for you to find.” 

“How I wish I could do something fine 
for him,” Nancy said. 

“You do,” said Dorothy, throwing her 
arms around Nancy, and holding her tight. 
“My father said, one day when I was telling 


242 DOROTHY DAINTY’S TREASURE CHEST 

him how I loved you, ‘Nancy is a dear little 
member of my family, and a great comfort 
to us all/ 

“Now when I tell you that, you’ll know 
you’re doing for him by just being here.” 

“Did you find a gift for yourself, Dor- 
othy?” Aunt Charlotte asked, as she ap- 
peared in the doorway. 

“A gift for me? Oh, I didn’t look!” 
said Dorothy as she bent over the chest. 

“Oo-oo! Here’s a box almost like 
yours !” she cried and opened it. There lay 
a string of pearls as white as the satin upon 
which they lay. 

“What a beautiful gift!” said Dorothy. 
“I do believe Father was so eager for us 
to have these gifts that that is part of the 
reason that we started a bit earlier for 
home.” 


THE CHEST ^8 CONTENTS 243 

Together they ran to peep into the long 
mirror, to note the effect of the little neck- 
laces that they were wearing. 

‘‘I mean to try to be still more of a com- 
fort,” Nancy said softly. 

So do I,” said Dorothy. 

The next morning, there was such a chat- 
tering out in the great garden that Dorothy 
looked out from her chamber window, and 
there on the lawn was Molly, Flossie, Katie, 
Reginald, and Jack, who had arrived to give 
them a grand welcome, for having returned 
a whole week earlier than the date set. 

Dorothy and Nancy raced down-stairs to 
see them, and such an exciting time they had 
for J ack Tiverton declared that there were 
‘^barrels” of news, and with Reginald’s 
help he proceeded to tell it. Already there 


244 DOROTHY DAlNTY^S TREA8VBE CHEST 

were plans for fun and frolic, some of which 
they told, and some they witheld for sur- 
prises later. 

Of the good times at the Stone House, of 
the mystery that puzzled every one, of what 
happened to Arabella and Patricia, one may 
read in 


^^Dorothy Dainty’s Castle.” 


rOP-OF-THE-WORLD STORIES 

Translated from the ScandinaTian Languages 

By EMIUE POULSSON and LAURA POULSSON 

!Uustrated in two colors by Florence Liley Young 

'^HESE stories of magic and adven- 
^ ture come from the countries 
the <‘top of the world,’ and will 
transport thither in fancy the children 
who read this unusual book. They 
tell of Lapps and reindeer (even a 
golden-homed reindeer!), of prince 
rnd herd-boy, of knights and wolves 
and trolls, of a boy who could be 
hungry and merry at the same time — 
of all these and more besides I Miss Poulsson’s numerous 
and long visits to Norway, her father’s land, and the fact that 
riie is an experienced writer for children are doubtless the 
Tcasons why her translations are sympathetic and skilful, and 
yet entirely adapted to give wholesome pleasure to the young 
public that she knows so well. 

“In these stories are the elements of wonder and magic and adventure 
that furnish the thrill so much appreciated by boys and girls ten or twelve 
years of age. An aristocratic book — one that every young person will be \ 
perpetually proud of.*” — Lookout^ Cincinnati^ O. ' 

“In this book the children are transported to the land they j»ove best, 
the land of magic, of the fairies and all kinds of wonderful nappenings. 

It is one of the best fairy story books ever published.” — Argus-Leadery 
Sioux Fallsy S. D. 



Por 8Mh ky mli booksellers or seat postpaid oa receipt 
of price by the publishers 

Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co. 


Boston 



YULE-TIDE IN MANY LANDS 


By MARY P. PRINGLE and CLARA A. URANN 


Fully illustrated and decorated 
12mo Cloth Price, $1.50 


T he varying forms of Christmas ob- 
servance at different times and in 
different lands are entertain’ngly shovm 
by one trained in choosing and present- 
ing the best to younger readers. The 
symbolism, good cheer, and sentiment 
of the grandest of holidays are shown 
as they appeal in similar fashion to those 
whose lives seem so widely diverse. The 
first chapter tells of the Yule-Tide of the 
Ancients, and the eight succeeding chapters deal respectively 
with the observance of Christmas and New Year’s, making 
up the time of Yule,” or the turning of the sun, in England, 
Germany, Scandinavia, Russia, France, Italy, Spain, and 
America. The space devoted to each country has at leas 
one good illustration. 



“The descriptions as presented in this well-prepared volume make 
interesting reading for all who love to come in loving contact with others 
ki their high and pure enjoyments." — Her old- Presbyter^ Cincinnati. 

“The way Yule-Tide was and is celebrated is told in a simple and 
instructive way, and the narrative is enriched by appropriate poems and 
excellent illustrations." — Cleveland Plain Dealer. 

“It is written for young people and is bound to interest them for the 
subject is a universal one." — American Church Sunday School Magazine. 


Por sah by ali booktellers or sant postsuUd on receipt 
oi price by the pubiiabeie 

Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co. 


Boston 


The Children on the Top Fl oor 

By Nina Rhoades Large 12 mo 
Cloth Illustrated by Bertha 
Davidson 

I N this book little Winifred Hamilton, the 
child heroine of “Winifred’s Neighbors,” 
reappears, living in the second of the four 
stories of a New York apartment house. On 
the top floor are two very interesting children, 

Betty, a little older than Winifred, who is now 
ten, and Jack, a brave little cripple, who is a 
year younger. In the end comes a glad re- 
union, and also other good fortune for crippled 
Jack, and Winifred’s kind little heart has once 
more indirectly caused great happiness to others. 

How Barbara Kept Her Promise 

By Nina Rhoades Large i2mo Cloth Illustrated 
by Bertha Davidson 

T WO orphan sisters, Barbara, aged twelve, and little Hazel, who is 
“only eight,” are sent from their early home in London to their 
mother’s family in New York. Faithful Barbara has promised her father 
that she will take care of pretty, petted, mischievous Hazel, and how she 
tries to do this, even in the face of great difficulties, forms the story which 
has the happy ending which Miss Rhoades wisely gives to all her stories. 

Little Miss Rosa mon d 

By Nina Rhoades Illus- 
trated by Bertha G. Davidson 
Large 12 mo 

R osamond lives in Richmond, Va., 
with her big brother, who cannot 
give her all the comfort that she needs in 
the trying hot weather, and she goes to the 
seaside cottage of an uncle whose home 
is in New York. Here she meets Gladys 
and Joy, so well known in a previous 
book, “The Little Girl Next Door,” and 
after some complications are straightehed 
oat, bringing Rosamond’s honesty and 
kindness of heart into prominence, all are made very happy* 




For sale by all booksellers or sent postpaid on receipt 
of price by the publishers 

LOTHROP. LEE & SHEPARD CO., BOSTON 




Only Dollie 


By Nina Rhoades Illustrated by Bertha Davidson 
Square i2mo Cloth 

T his is a brightly written story of a girl of 
twelve, who, when the mystery of her birth 
is solved, like Cinderella, passes from drudgery to 
better circumstances. There is nothing strained 
or unnatural at any point. All descriptions or 
portrayals of character are life-like, and the 
book has an indescribable appealing quality 
which wins sympathy and secures success. 

“It is delightful reading at all times .” — Cedar 
Rapids {la.) Republican. 

“ It is well written, the story runs smoothly, the idea 
is good, and it is handled with ability.” — Chicago 
Journal. 

The Little Girl Next Door 

By Nina Rhoades. Large i2mo 
by Bertha Davidson 

A DELIGHTFUL story of true and genuine friendship between an 
impulsive little girl in a fine New York home and a little blind girl 
in an apartment next door. The little girl’s determination to cultivate 
the acquaintance, begun out of the window' during a rainy day, triumphs 
over the barriers of caste, and the little blind girl proves to be in every 
way a worthy companion. Later a mystery of birth is cleared up, and the 
little blind girl proves to be of gentle birth as well as of gentle manners. 

Winifred’s Neighbors 

By Nina Rhoades Illustrated 
by Bertha G. Davidson Large 
i2mo Cloth 

L ittle Winifred’s efforts to find some 
children of whom she reads in a book 
lead to the acquaintance of a neighbor 
of the same name, and this acquaintance 
proves of the greatest importance fo \^Tnifled’s 
own family. Through it all she is just such a 
little girl as other girls ought to know, and 
the story will hold the interest of all ages. 




Cloth Illustrated 


For sale by all booksellers^ or sent postpaid on receipt 
of price by the publisher s^ 

LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO., BOSTON 



Brick House Boolis"' 

By NtyA RhOADBS 

CIcih t2tno Ithtsiraied 


Priscilla of the 

Doll Shop 

*“ Bnck House Books,** as they are 
called from their well-known cover de- 
signs, are eagerly sought by children all over 
the country. There are three good stories in 
this book, instead of one, and it is hard to 
say which little girls, and boys, too, for that 
matter, will like the best. 

Brave Little Peggy 



DEGGY comes from California to New Jersey to live with a brother and 
* sister whom she has not known since very early childhood. She is so 
democratic in her social ideas that many amusing scenes occur, and it is 
hard for her to understand many things that she must learn. But her good 
heart carries her through, and her conscientiousness and moral courae«9 
win affection and happiness. 



The Other Sylvia 

IGHT-year-old Sylvia learns that girls who 
are “ Elings* Daughters *’ pledge themselves 
to some kind act or service, and that one little 
girl named Mary has taken it upon herself to be 
helpful to all the Marys of her acquaintance. 
This is such an interesting way of doing good that 
she adopts it in spite of her unusual name, and 
really finds not only “ the other Sylvia,** but great 
happiness. 


Por smie by all bookselterM or seat postpaid oa receipt aS 
price by the pubUsbers 


tOTHROP. LEE & SHEPARD CO.. BOSTON 



HOnE ENTERTAINiNQ 

What to Do, and How to Do It 

Edited by WILLIAfl E. CHENERY 

12mo Cloth 

*T'HIS l»ook is the product of years of stuoy 
and the practical trying-out ot every con- 
ceivable form of indoor entertainment. All the 
games, tricks, puzzles, and rainy-day and social- 
evening diversions have been practised by the 
editor; many are original with him, and many 
tha* are of course not original have been greatly 
improv^'d by his intelligence. All are told in the 
plainest possible way, and with excellent taste. 
The book is well arranged and finely printed. At 
a low price it places within the reach of all the 
very best of bright and jolly means of making 
home what it ought to be — the best piace for a good timo by those of all 
ages. 

“The book is bright «r i up to date, full of cheer and sunshine. A good 
holiday book.’*— i . lescope^ Dayton^ Ohio, 

** For those who want new games for ihe home this book supplies the ve^ best 
—good, clean, hearty gaaaes, full of fun and the spirit of laughter.’*— iV. T. Times. 

“Altogether the book is a perfect treasure-house for the young people’s rainy 
day or sooal evening .*’ — Nevf Bedford Standard. 

“ The arrangement is excellent and the instructions so simple that a child may 
follow them. A book like this is just the thing for social evenings.’*— CAris/taa 
Endeavor World. 

“ A book giving the best, cleanest and brightest games and tricks for home 
entertaining,’’— Herald. 

Tlie oook is clearly written and should prove of value to every young maiC 
who aspires to be the life of the paiitj,**—Salttmore Smn . 

“Only good, bright, 2iean games and tricks appeal to Mr. Chenery, and h. 
has told in ue simplest and most comprehensive manner how to gd: np ' amuse, 
meats for every one,* **~=rHartford Courunt. 


priee iiy tbe pubUtben 

tOTHROP 1J3F % S^EPARh C0.^ BOSTON 



New Editions of Two Favorite Books 


THE LANCE OF KANANA 

A STORY OF ARABIA 

By HARRY W. FRENCH (“Abd 

Two-coJor illustrations by Garrett 

K ANANA, a Bedouin youth, though excelling 
in athletic prowess, is branded, even by his 
father, as a coward because he prefers the 
humble lot of a shepherd to the warrior’s career 
that he, the son of a sheik known as the “Terror 
of the Desert,” was expected to follow. “Only 
for Allah and Arabia will I lift a lance and take 
a life,” he maintained. Opportunity to prove 
his worth soon comes, and the supposed coward, 
understood too late, becomes in memory a 
national hero. 

•‘The stirrin|f story of the loyalty and self-sacrifice of 
a Bedouin boy Ts well worth the attractive new edition in 
which it now presents its rare picture of fervid patri. 
otism.” — Continent^ Chicago. 

THE ADVENTURES 
OF MILTIADES PETERKIN PAUL 
By JOHN BROWNJOHN 

Frontispiece by John Goss Illustrated by **Boz'* 


el Ardavan ) 
Net, $1.25 




H ere is a child classic reissued in a finer 
and handsomer form, in response to the 
persistent demand of those who know the 
mirth-provoking quality of the exploits of 
the ingenious small toy named Miltiades 
Peterkin Paul and spoken of as “a great 
traveler, although he was small.” Whoever 
has once enjoyed the story of the restless 
little lad who imitated Don Quixote, and did 
many other things, is permanently charmed 
by it. 

“This youthful Don Quixote, with his travels and 
exploits, drives ‘dull care* away from the elders 
and delights the juniors.” — Watchman^ N. T. 


Por sate by all booksellers or seat po stpatd on receipt 

of price by the publishers 

Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co. Boston 


WHEN GRANDMAMMA 
WAS FOURTEEN 

By MARION HARLAND 


WITH FOUR FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS AND NUMEROUS PICTURES 
IN THE TEXT 


Later adventures of the heroine of 
'‘^WHEN GRANDMAMMA WAS NEW.** 


T hose who recall this noted author’s delightful story, “ When 
Grandmamma was New,” will be glad to hear that in this 
book are the adventures of the heroine at a later period. 
Through the eyes of fourteen-year-old Molly Burwell, the reader 
sees much that is quaint, amusing and pathetic in ante-bellum Rich- 
mond, and the story has all the charm of manner and rich humanity 
which are characteristic of Marion Harland. All healthy-hearted 
children will delight in the story, and so will their parents. 


WHEN GRANDMAMMA WAS NEW 

The Story of a Virginia Girlhood in the Forties 
By Marion Harland 12 mo Illustrated 

The BOSTON JOURNAL says; 

If only one might read it first with the trained enjoyment of the 
‘ grown-up * mind that is ‘ at leisure from itself,* and then if one might with- 
draw into ten-year-old-dom once more and seek the shadow of the friendly 
apple-tree, and revel in it all over again, taste it all just as the child tastes, 
and find it luscious 1 For this book has charm and piquancy. And it is in 
just this vivid remembrance of a child’s mental workings, in just the avoid- 
ance of all ‘writing down* to the supposed level of a child’s mind, that 
this story has its rare attractiveness. It is bright, winsome, and magnetic.** 

The INTERIOR, Chicago, says; 

** * Grandmamma * may have charmed other folks, — has charmed them all, 
incontrovertibly, — but she has never tried harder to be vivid and dramatic 
and entertaining, and to leave a sweet kernal of application, withal, than in 
these memory-tales of a sunny childhood on a big Virginia plantation. It is 
a book which will delight, not children alone, but all such as have the child 
heart and a tender memory of when they were ‘ new.* ** 

AT ALL BOOKSELLERS, OR SENT POSTPAID ON RECEIPT 
OF PRICE BY THE PUBLISHERS 

LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO., BOSTON 


THE SLEEPY-TIME STORY-BOOK. 

By RUTH O. DYER 

With Frontispiece by Alice Barber Stephens and Fifty 
four Pen-and-ink Illustrations by Bertha Davidson 
Hoxie Decorative End-leaves and Title-page 


JNTELLIGENT mothers have .learned 
better than to spoil the restful sleep of a 
child, and probably exert an unfortunate 
influence upon his disposition and character, 
by tales of ogres, dark woods, and savage 
beasts. They know he cannot rest well 
with his mind excited and his blood 
quickened by tales of adventure, but are at 
a loss to answer the natural plea for a bed- 
time story in a way that shall interest and 
yet soothe. The simple nature -stories in 
this attractive book are the prescription of 
an expert for all such cases. Using familiar objects, they, with words 
adapted to a lulling tone of voice, will hold the attention of a child 
until refreshing drowsiness comes to bring healthful rest. 

**A unique and delightful volume of restful stories by which the mother 
may put her little child to bed. They meet not only the need of the mothe*- 
who thinks she does not know how to tell stories, but their slow cadences must 
be almost magical in the way of lulling a child to refreshing drowsiness.” — 
Bulletin of the American Institute of Child Life^ 

** In the fashion of prose lullabies, Ruth Dyer has put together a little vo. 
ume of twenty-five short stories. Eacli deals with the things of every-day child 
experiences, and aside from the standpoint of nap-tirae stories, forms a pleas, 
ant lesson for the child consciousness in making it aware of its surroundings.** 
— The Churchman. 

Pretty little bedside tales of the tranquilizing order are grouped in this 
neat little book for the pleasure of little people and the relicfof mothers.**-" 
Betroit Free Press, 



For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt 
of price by the publishers 

Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co. 


Boston 



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